Review of Jr. James recording at Stella Blue in Asheville

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Check out this blurt-online.com review of Jr. James and the Late Guitar’s CD, Draw Blood!, recorded live at Stella Blue a few years back:

Jr. James is a mainstay of the Asheville, NC, indie-rock scene, and a bit of a maverick, too – as befits someone who, on his MySpace page, lists as his core influences Blind Blake and William Blake. (Take that, John McCain.) Said maverick spirit is on full display on Draw Blood!, recorded live a few years ago at the Stella Blue venue, and featuring James joined by an all-star cast of locals that includes Band of Horses members Tyler Ramsey and Bill Reynolds.

Things take a pronounced veer early in the set with James’ cover of “Crimson and Clover”; what’s initially a straightforward, garage-pop rendition suddenly morphs, midsong, into “Dublin,” a kind of jamband take on an electric Irish jig (Pogues and Horslips fans, take note), replete with a wah-wah solo and what gets, for my money at least, the award for Best Use Of A Melodica In A Psychedelic Irish Raveup. Several songs later the club’s knee deep in the blues standard “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” but I can guarantee ya this ain’t your mama’s Willie Dixon/Muddy Waters territory the band has ventured into, as the revised songtitle, “I Just Want to Loop Beats With You,” none-too-subtly telegraphs: powered by an insistent electro-pulse churn, a grunting/huffing synth and yet more wah-wah guitar, the tune sounds like – spurious-yet-colorful comparison alert! – DEVO fronted by Fred Schneider and covering Foghat.