Reviews

EP by Billy J

From : Bman’s Blues Report

I just received the newest release (November 19, 2013), a self titled EP by Billy J and it's pretty cool. Billy is joined on the release by Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band) on drums, Charlie Wooton (Royal Southern Brotherhood) on bass Jeremy Baum (Shemeka Copeland) on keys and Stephen "Buzzy" Krist on percussion. Opening with She's Mine, a country funk with a strong lean to Deep Purple's and Golden Earring, Billy J wastes no time in showing his guitar chops and arrangements by Dave Fields guarantee a tight package. On My Baby's Blue, a straight forward blues rocker, Billy styles a track that should easily fit into many playlists with a solid melody and contagious hook. She, a quiet ballad, sounds like it could have been written by Stevie Nicks and the articulated acoustic guitar work by Buckingham. This is another clever pop like track and again shows strong commercial potential. New Car takes a different street altogether showing flashes of Big Brother and Led Zeppelin. This is my favorite track on the release with contorted guitar riffs, a slow tempo and lots of heat. The EP is wrapped by Boomerang, a fast paced blues rocker. With tastes of Steppenwolf and Wilson Pickett, this is a slick trick and a cool ending to a hot little package.

Feature 2

by Richie Frieman

South Jersey native and Blues rocker Billy J is a veteran of the peaks and valleys of this American music industry, launching a career decades ago playing clubs as an underage vocalist and guitarist. Since then, Billy has been a part of bands (such as Sacred Oath) that have opened for huge rock acts like Twisted Sister, Cinderella, Bruce Springsteen, and Bon Jovi, and today, after some time off, returns to his rightful spot behind the microphone with a fresh self-titled EP, complete with five original tracks backed by Billy and his award-winning band.

We asked Billy J to tell us more about the new collection – he said we should keep an eye out for “Catchy tasteful songs with some great players on it which will hopefully get some good attention.  This CD is a mix of songs which were written years ago and updated and some new writing…its blues with a rock edge or Americana with rock edge. I think the songs are a bit of a boundary/genre jumper which I hope will appeal to each genre.” Billy J will be out and about supporting the new album, so click to http://www.billyjjams.com to check out a show near you, and sample some of the new tunes. Before you do that, keep reading – there’s much more to get into in the answers to the XXQs below.

Feature 3

(From Big City Blues Magazine’s CD Sampler - Holding Onto Nothing But The Wheel)

“Summertime” and “The Road Goes on Forever,” “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” “On the Road Again,” “Further on up the Road!” Road trips is a favorite theme in music as well as here at Big City Rhythm & Blues Magazine because we have been on the road for over 100 issues, almost 20 years! Thus our second CD Sampler of 2013, CD Sampler #14, Holding Onto Nothing But The Wheel, describes what I, “Junior” and many blues men spend most of their time doing in the summer: driving to festivals and gigs. Sugar and I spend from February to November on the road, spreading the word and getting the word. Once again our CD Sampler #14, Holding Onto Nothing But The Wheel has gathered some of the best music from all over these great states: New Orleans, Ohio, Michigan, Memphis, New York,Virginia, California, Florida, Alabama and much more to come in our August issue. The cover shows me, “Junior,” driving away from the “Bright Lights, Big City” and into the country, the night, the unknown and the known. Past the crossroads and juke joints to all points east, west, north and south.
CD Sampler #14 Holding Onto Nothing But The Wheel is here just in time for the summer festival season enjoyment. We have compiled this CD sampler with some of the favorite tunes that have crossed “Junior’s Jukebox” and we have asked the bands to spread the love to you through this CD sampler. It is hard these days to keep a band on the road with the gas prices and the blues clubs coming and going so except for the top dollar acts, most bands have to stay near home base. But in the old days bands would load up their “station wagons” and head out til they had money to come home, “Holding onto nothing but the wheel.” So we dedicate this CD sampler to those road warriors like Eddie Kirkland who preferred sleeping in his car over a hotel. (Alas Eddie died making a U-turn in front of a speeding truck). “Holding on to nothing but the wheel” is a song by Mr. Peter Wolf, previously recorded by Patty Loveless and written by Patty Loveless and John Scott Sherrill.
Please take me when you go — Robert Jr. www.bigcitybluesmag.com