2013 Texas Blues from Jeff Strahan – Monkey Around!

So on Sunday as I was doing some errands before the Eagles game I listened to a couple of new blues albums the first was Jeff Strahan‘s latest Monkey Around and Five Finger Discount from Soulstack. I enjoyed both  albums! Let’s start with Jeff Strahan first. From his website……

“Strahan is a fiery Texas spirit, a killer guitar player & piano pounder and singer, as wild as the high plains from which he hails, and as cool as the hill country where he lives. He’s as real & strong as lightning, I swear, and I love being around him, to hear how he’s going to knock me out next.”

Strahan is a native of Lamesa, Texas currently residing in New Braunfels, Texas,the epicenter of Texas’ Americana Music Scene. And while he may.reside in New Braunfels he lists his current location on Facebook as “always on the road”!.   Up until about five years ago, Strahan,was practicing law but Jeff saw the light and stopped lawyering and started performing the blues and the world is better for the switch!!! .His three-piece band, in addition to Jeff on guitar and keyboards, includes a rhythm section composed of Jimmy Hartman on bass and Chris Compton on drums.Jeff is 5-time Semi-Finalist, International Blues Challenge,in Memphis, TN, (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 & 2009) Before reading that Jeff also provided the keys on Monkey Around, I was wondering, who the piano player was on the first track of the album! And while Jeff’s piano playing is great, the highlights of the album are Jeff’s “flaming hot Texas guitar licks” Sometimes these licks are tinged with a Mexican influence. but most often.Strahan’s music is straight ahead southern rock, blues, folk and more all rolled into one or as he describes his music in his biography at his website….. “If the Marshall Tucker Band had come from Lubbock, Texas instead of South Carolina, they might have sounded a lot like this” From Jeff’s site at Reverbnation:

Since 2002, Jeff has recorded 6 CD’s of original music, including a live album with 22 tunes that comes close to reproducing the energy that you feel when you’re watching and listening to Jeff Strahan live. His latest CD, (Wayward Son, Squaw Peaks Records) is probably his most diverse and strongest studio album to date. He masters the Stratocaster along with the best of them and does equally well playing keys. Sometimes he does both at the same time. When asked to describe his music he calls it “Music that doesn’t suck. – A blend of soulful-blues-rock-and folk.” Most people will agree – it doesn’t suck. It’s even pretty good. In some instances, real good. Read More

So let’s go “into the morning” with a track from Jeff’s 2012 release Blues Till I Die “River’s Gonna Rise”  Tomorrow we’ll tackle Soulstack!!