Bman's Blues Report

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Spiritus , from Jane Lee Hooker and it's smoking! Opening with How Ya Doin? , Hooker opens up where they left off on their hot release, No B! back in 2016. Dana "Danger" Athens is upfront with a powerful voice and Tracy "Hightop" Almazan and Tina "T-Bone" Gorin create a sense of Thin Lizzy while Melissa "Cool Whip" Houston on drums and "Hail Mary" Zadroga on bass give you flashbacks to Van Halen. Powerful is the word. With the poise of Free, Gimme That is a solid blues rocker... oh yeah...with cow bell! Blues ballad, Later On shows a more subtle side of Athens' vocals and Almazan and Gorin's guitar tones are round and mellow. Blending Hound Dog Taylor with a modern garage rock feel gives you a hot rocking version of Lightning Hopkins' Black Rat . Excellent! Clean blues ballad, How Bright the Moon is a real spin featuring Athens on piano and total blues...

I just received the newest release, No B! , from Jane Lee Hooker and it's a riot!! I got to tell you, when I saw the name I was dubious but one look at the cover I was intrigued. I'm thinking L7 and John Lee Hooker... and I'm thinking... let's get it on! This excellent release opens with powerhouse, Wade In The Water written by John Wesley Work II and he never heard it this way in his head... believe me. This is kick ass from the first note with Dana "Danger" Athens on lead vocal, "Hail Mary" Zadroga on bass, Tracy "High Top" on guitar Melissa "Cool Whip" Houston on drums and Tina "TBone" Gorin on guitar. Rockin excellent! Johnny Winter's Mean Town Blues is up next and it's mind blowing! Zadroga and Houston set a smokin' pace and Athens knows how to steer this runaway locomotive. I really love the raw energy of this band and High Top and TBone's guitar exchanges. Excellent! Ray Charles has got to be...

JANE LEE HOOKER TAKES NO B! CD Out On April 15 These ladies mash up the grit and attitude of NYC And hold nothing back "Blistering. Sweaty. Raw…” -   Tom Tom Magazine On April 15 th Ruf Records group, Jane Lee Hooker will release No B! a record filled with blues and rock covers as well as originals that stick like glue with grinding guitars backed by a pounding drum beat. Produced and recorded by Matt Chiaravalle at Mission Sound, Brooklyn, NY and Mercy Sound, NYC, it’s bound to shove new life into their fans. "These women do more than just pay tribute… they mix in elements of punk and classic rock to give them such a distinct, hard-edged sound."   - Guitar Girl Magazine Tearing out of their native New York these five rockers fuse the sticky thrills of golden-era punk and blues with a healthy slug of modern attitude. “Not a lot of bands can capture the excitement, sweat, and charisma of the ’70s bands we grew up listening to,” the...