Straitjacket

2018 release. Take a ride along the banks of the Mississippi River, pull up a stool in any St. Louis blues joint and talk will soon turn to the musician who's giving the city it's soundtrack. Jeremiah Johnson's towering reputation has been hard-earned. In 2018, Straitjacket wears his soul on it's sleeve. Produced by Mike Zito, and tracked live by the crack-squad studio band of Frank Bauer (sax/vocals), Benet Schaeffer (drums) and Tom Maloney (bass), the tracklisting takes in plenty of playful moments, like the title track's hectic funk-blues complaint to a controlling girlfriend, or the grooving Dirty Mind, about a lover calling up for "a little company" at 2am. But elsewhere, personal songs like the addiction-themed Keep On Sailing bleed into the social commentary of Believe In America and Old School, which examines the spate of US shootings. It all ends with a cover of Alvin Lee's classic Rock 'N' Roll Music To The World, which sees the band flex their astonishing chemistry and enjoy the ride. The man himself hopes you will do the same: "I want people to let this record play from the first to the last note, crank it up at a party or riding through the night on a Harley-Davidson. I want it to make people feel like going on a trip of emotion..."