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The Jay Johnson Band "Deep In The Heart Of Texas" By The Recordman
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I finally have in my hand the eagerly awaited
follow-up to Jay Johnson’s excellent 1999 release, “Images”, which
happens to be one of my favorite recordings of all time. Jay
generously shares the spotlight on the new release with his talented band
mates, Dan Shinedling, Jr., and Chris Whitney. The resulting album
is an interesting mix of musical styles that reminds me of Crosby, Stills
and Nash – Texas style. The CD starts with “Deep In The Heart Of Texas”. Those expecting “The stars at night are big and bright (clap, clap, clap, clap)…are in for a surprise. This is one of the prettiest songs written about our fair state. Jay’s lyrics are from the poet’s heart. “Deep in the heart of Texas a campfire whispers softly in the dawn morning coming on Footsteps of the fawn falls behind his mother in the quiet of the trees And deep in the heart of Texas, there’s shelter in the breeze.” His words paint lovely images of Texas and are sung to a beautiful background of Jay's and Dan’s acoustic guitars and Chris’ congas, chimes and softly brushed drums fortified with cymbal crescendos for emphasis. In the mix also are sparse, low, fuzzy bass chords by Curtis Tilton (one of the Three Fools on Three Stools), that accentuate the melody more than the rhythm. This is a classic Texas song that will live deep in the heart of Texans for years to come. Dan’s “Lie” is an upbeat love song with the acoustic guitars strumming over soft bass lines and frantic drumming, and a rising dobro by Ray Austin that builds into several nice fills. A couple of lines are... “Lie sweet woman, lie down next to me Fate brought us together, now love will set us free.” It’s about meeting the girl of your dreams, and it’s catchy. Dan’s somewhat autobiographical “Southern California” tells of him leaving his home place in California and moving to Atlanta and then to Dallas in search of a better life. The chorus includes the line, “Now I’m sitting all alone in Dallas, Texas wondering why the hell I ever came this way”. Dan told me he worries that Texans will mistakenly think he doesn’t care for Texas and wants folks to know he really loves it here. Anyone that has ever pulled up stakes and moved far away, leaving family and friends behind, will identify with the periods of loneliness and disillusionment that invariably occurs during the adjustment period. This is a very good song with great lyrics and features two nice guitar breaks, one with an interesting three note, chime-like ending. The band’s harmonies are great also. In the next track, “I Can Tell You”, Dan creates a serious, reflective song about the trials and tribulations of street people, an unwed, pregnant girl facing tough choices and the apathy of society. Dan sings, “You can buy nice things but you can never buy peace of mind”. This is a good song with some good points to ponder. Chris makes his song-writing debut with “Sad December” and also takes over as lead vocalist. A bittersweet song about losing the love of your life. “Last December you said we’d always be friends I guess that’s fair enough I’ll never see you again. It took some time, But I’m finally learning how to let you go.” This song features some nice, three-part harmony. It’s a good solid effort from Chris in every respect. When signing my CD jacket, Chris pointed out that this was the best song on the CD. The only reason this is debatable is because there are so many damn good songs on this CD. I look forward to hearing more from Chris. Next is Dan’s condemnation of the Nashville hit making machine, “Hit Factory”. Dan’s been perfecting this country rocker for the last year or so in concert, and I’ve always thought it had hit potential. Except, of course, that is skews everything and everyone needed these days to have a hit record. It’s a conundrum that deserves to be heard on the radio. “In Betweens” is a haunting melody supporting a pleasurable, mystic poem about a muse-like vision that floated through Jay’s consciousness one night. While there was never any actual communications between them, Jay sings about her mere, brief presence. “She comes in slowly like a raging flood And never stops to see the pain it caused. Entrapped in motion by some distant plain, Forever running like a man insane Stumbling only in betweens.” During the chorus, Rebecca Johnson, joins Jay’s with her smoky velvet vocals. Like on “Images”, her background spots are brief but add an amazing depth to the songs. This is a beautiful song that sticks in your mind, and it had me humming the simple, but powerful guitar refrain for hours after hearing it. “The Wayward Song” is Dan’s old-fashioned protest song about changing the world with a song…a nice thought and a good song. Dan’s “Childish Ways” finds the boys in an almost bluegrass mode. It starts with some toe-tappin’ pickin’ and has good old country style singing by Dan and Chris. These ears longed for a pickin’ interlude that never came…too bad, as the boys sure sounded up to it. “I Believe” is a plucky, country love song about separated lovers that believe their time will come. How do you end a CD and follow ten thought-provoking and challenging songs? With a little ear candy! “The Pitcher Song” is Jay’s contribution to the Texas bar sing-along song, which he hopes “makes him a million dollars”. Based on the response he’s receiving on this song, it just might do that. At every performance I’ve seen of this song, the audience has needed no prompting in joining the chorus of… “If you were a pitcher, I’d drink you til I dropped And if you were a cigarette, I’d smoke you til I cough But since you’re just a memory this pain will never stop And this here’s where I get off!” Is this a love or a hate relationship? It’s hate – but I’ll let Jay explain the song to you, as he does it so much better than I could. Tommy Alverson plays a great guitar solo that still has the band in disbelief. There’s a party going on in the background with a group of friends, family and band members sounding like they’re having a great time. Jay said the party idea developed after Tommy accidentally clinked a bottle during the original recording and the sound came through on the speakers. So back they went into the studio, with drinks in hand, and recorded the party version. A lucky “break” for Jay, as the song is a joyous kiss-off to a soon-to-be ex-wife and the perfect way to end the CD. I find myself singing alone in the car when it comes on the radio with such exuberance that the folks around me have to think I’m nuts. I don’t care…screw ‘em…I’m having fun. Jay and Dan are both excellent guitarists and play so well together that it’s hard to distinguish who’s playing what part. Chris’ percussion is also top notch throughout the album. The band is very tight. In addition to providing some great guitar, Tommy Alverson also produced the album. With all the nice production work he has done lately, he is on his way to becoming another Lloyd Maines. Brian Johnson is also listed as a guest guitarist, but I can’t tell you where he played. The other guest players all perform admirably, and all together they have made a very fine CD. The music is always excellent, and like the aforementioned CSN albums, is used to accentuate the lyrics. This is a CD that sounds good driving down the road, but the music’s real strength becomes evident when heard devoid of distractions. Good singers singing good songs with great musicians providing an elegant and grand back drop. Near perfection if you take the time to savor and enjoy. My only complaint is that the CD needs more of Jay’s songs. I guess I’m greedy because there isn’t a track on the CD worthy of dismissing, but Jay is the soul of the band. If Mr. Johnson has one fault that will hold him back, it’s underestimating his talents. In this writer’s opinion, Jay is one of the best guitarists, singers and songwriters around. While he may be too artistic to have multi-platinum CD’s (the buying masses fault, not his), he can most assuredly develop a sizable world-wide following that could keep him in the limelight and in comfort for as long as he chooses to stay there. This isn’t meant to slight Dan and Chris. For several years I have enjoyed Dan’s performances and his promotional CD which includes early versions of three of these songs. (If he still has some for sale, you should grab one). Dan has a knack for writing radio friendly songs with integrity. That’s not an easy task. Chris is still a budding song writer who shows promise, and there’s no doubt he has the talent and music know-how to go places. These men like the way they and their songs sound when they play together and rightly so. I hope to hear more from them, but I also hope that each chooses to flex their wings and try some side trips to develop their varied styles. I also hope “Deep In The Heart Of Texas” makes them all a million dollars. They deserve it, and the CD is really that good.
E-mail me about this review Click here to read The Recordman's bio Visit Jay Johnson's Website
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