Country Ghetto

July 28, 2008 | By Doug In Country |

Country Ghetto
Within the soul-drenched music of northern Florida’s JJ Grey and band, the roots run as deep as the influences are indelible. “War” and “By My Side” sound like Southern-fried Sly and the Family Stone. “Turpentine” recalls the swamp funk of Tony Joe White. Both “A Woman” and “The Sun Is Shining Down” suggest long-lost Otis Redding sessions in Muscle Shoals, while “Mississippi” takes Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” on a trip down to the delta. From the harmonica-laced country blues of the title track to the gospel piano and choir of “On Palestine,” Grey’s music compensates with conviction for what it lacks in originality. –Don McLeese

Customer Review: Well worth a listen
How to best describe this album…? Bluesy, rootsy, groovy, funky, soulful, thoughtful.. These would all be good words. JJ Grey’s vocal’s are superb throughout, equally adept at slower soulful numbers and low down and dirty numbers. His harp playing, guitar playing and keyboard playing are also great and the band are just knockout - with perhaps a special mention to Adam Score on Hammond Organ. There are a number of stand-out tracks on this album - although “By My Side” just edges it in my opinion. Production is a bit smoother than the previous albums “Lochloosa” and “Blackwater”, and I would argue the songs are slightly better-crafted. Fans of the earlier stuff need not worry though, there’s plenty of good stuff to enjoy on this album. One of my picks of 2007 without a doubt.