CD Review
Jerome Godboo
Pain and the Glory
2004 Panache Records
by Sarah French
Review date: October 2004
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"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
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Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. His name is Jerome Godboo. Say it loud and say it proud - let the words reverberate across the airwaves.
Master of the misery whistle, Jerome’s newest release is not your typical Blues collection, although there are tracks that cover John Mayall, Willie Dixon and T-Bone Walker. It is homage to the greats, modernized and revived.
This disc is aptly titled ‘Pain and the Glory’, and it gives the listener those emotions and the full spectrum in between. The first track “My little Girl” lays down the foundation for this album with outstanding harmonica and vocals from Godboo. The funky original “The Night I Slept Outside” tells of every man’s nightmare with wit, sorrow and conviction. A shining example of how well Jerome and his various band mates work together is a smoking rendition of the Rolling Stones “Ventilator Blues”. Featuring incredible electric slide guitar, courtesy of mini Blues sensation Jimmy Bowskill, unconventional drumming from the formidable Al Webster, and heavy bass lines laid down by recording engineer and bass player extraordinaire Alec Fraser. The vocals are much more predominant than the original, which with all of the aforementioned talent, makes this track stand out. “Strange Brew” is another awesome cut, with stellar guitar from Damian Arokium, smooth but fierce bass from Leo Valvassori, and of course, strong harmonica and vocals from Mr. Godboo.
The real gem on this disc is the title track, “Pain and the Glory”. With one of the grooviest bass and drum intros I have ever heard, the volume quickly found its way creeping up on my dial. A spiritual diary of sorts, the lyrics tell a story of soul searching and healing. One of the vocal lines that really grabs at me is “… Holy Spirit let me know, that I was born to Rock N’ Roll”. Perfection musically and poetically, this track alone is well worth the price of admission. The covers of Dixon’s “Evil”, Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me” and T-Bone Walker’s “Evening” are fresh, modern and energetic. All of the tracks on “Pain and the Glory” are exceptional vocally and musically. Each cut carries its own, but compiled together, the songs make this disc a heavyweight, a fantastic effort from Jerome and the band.
For tour information and to purchase this disc or any of Jerome’s other recordings, visit www.jeromegodboo.com.
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