Big George Jackson is a 6’ 6” native of North Minneapolis, Minnesota, who spends his days working for a local gas utility and his nights playing a hard hitting combination of Chicago style & country blues fronting his own band on vocals and harp. George’s band is made up of a veteran group of Twin Cities blues musicians including Jeremy Johnson and Phil Schmid (guitars), John Schroeder (bass) and Dwight Dario (drums). These are musicians who know how to “play it down,” leaving the center stage open for the big man and his unique presentation of the blues.
Bid George Jackson’s latest release on Black & Tan records is a stripped down and emotional journey through the rural south and Southside Chicago that further illustrates just how far Big George has come in his musical development since the release of his first CD, Nothing Like the Rest, on Cold Wind Records in the 1990’s. Of the eleven songs on Southern In My Soul, ten are originals by George Jackson, with one cover of a Smokey Smothers tune, “I’ve Done More or You Baby,” to round out the music.
Each song is dominated by Jackson’s vibrato-filled vocals and signature harp. The opening title track, “Southern In My Soul” has a Howlin’ Wolf/Muddy Waters feeling to it as it preaches Big George’s upbringing in the cold north country, influenced by the southern influence in his heritage. The music holds its basic rhythm pattern throughout and George’s harp is notably absent. The absence of harp is short-lived as George adds nice harp fills to Smokey Smother’s “I’ve Done More For You Baby,” coupled with some excellent, yet understated, guitar work.
Following a slow blues entitled “Blue Sky,” George gets into some deep, deep blues on “Go For A Ride,” a totally stripped down country blues with guitar, harp and minimal drums backing up George’s pleading vocal delivery. Though not nearly as heavy as “Go For A Ride,” the minimalist, country feeling also shows itself on “Biscuits & Molasses,” and the closing number, “Argue, Fuss ‘n’ Fight.
Representing the other side of George’s influences are original tunes like “Cross-Eyed Annie,” with its catchy lyrics and tasty guitar work, coupled with the hard line Chicago feeling on “Love So Strong,” where George’s quavering vocals delivery adds a unique element of emotion to the tune. The Jimmy Reed feeling created by “I’m Sorry” makes it one of the more tranquil songs on Southern In My Soul, followed by the Chicago blues busting sound of “Amtrak,” a song that could have easily been performed in any Chicago blues club back in the 50’s and 60’s by Muddy, Sonny Boy or the Wolf, with the elements of traveling, trains, drinking and lost love all packed into one great song. Preceding the closing country sound of “Argue, Fuss ‘n’ Fight,” is another nicely done original, “You Ain’t All That,” including some nice harp, fine guitar and a taunting lyric focused upon a woman who is not as great as she seems to think she is.
Big George Jackson has become an excellent musician, singer and representative of the strength of the Minneapolis blues scene. If he continues putting together recordings as strong as Southern In My Soul, perhaps there will come a time when he can quit his day job and focus on the music that he so obviously loves. To learn more about Big George and his recordings, visit his website at www.biggeorgejackson.com or www.black-and-tan.com.
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