|
Jessie and the Raindogs
@ Rusty's Surf Ranch
Deep down in the trenches of the south, in bars and churches, small towns and urban areas alike, to a small captive audience or thousands of followers, there's a sound that started an entire movement, speaking truths about spirituality, love and heartache. That musical movement is the blues, and it is arguably the foundation for rock 'n roll as we know it today.
John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, Etta James, and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, among many others are legends in this genre and have drawn younger generations. Among them are the likes of Johnny Lang and Kenny Wayne Sheppard, and the next legend-in-the-making (in my ever so humble opinion), Jessie and the Raindogs.
Jessie Payo, a young woman fresh out of high school, has been belting it out since she was a child, and one can't help but notice the contradictions: She appears young, yet has the onstage character and voice of an old, wise, and experienced soul. With influences like Ella Fitzgerald and Janis Joplin, Jessie has studied her blues lessons well, enough to thrill every living, beating heart at Rusty's a couple of weeks ago. She also has a uniquely intense stage persona, living every lyric and moving her body in direct response, akin to Tina Turner's emotional passion.
The Raindogs covered many classic tunes like Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" and as well as a slew of original Raindog tunes like "Soul Child", written by Jessie herself as a tribute to the great Joplin. Most of the other songs are written by none other than Jose Payo, bassist, vocalist, band founder, and dad to Jessie herself. If only all our fathers were this cool.
"Hell of a Man" was powerfully raspy, illustrating Jessie's mind boggling vocal range and intensity, while "Spoonful" revealed her sultry, sexy quality. She wrapped up the more than two-hour set with a lengthy, female-angst ballad called "I Don't Deserve This." One word: Wow.
Rarely is every member of a band so impressively skilled at their craft as The Raindogs. Johnny Stachela on guitar wakes Vaughan up from his heavenly sleep state; during his solos his seamless fingering was dizzying to the eye and blissful to the ear. Drummer Marc Joseph was an entire show on his own, powerful and dynamic, giving the group's sound a distinctive quality.
The Raindogs show what they're made of with great confidence and poise. Don't be fooled. This isn't blues simply filled with heartache and despair. Jessie and the Raindogs blues sound is multidimensional and pumped, thanks to the band's youthful energy and spectacular instrumentation. They haven't forgotten their roots, but they've decisively redefined a classic genre with a new sense of sensuality and force.
Sample a few songs or buy their album at jessieandtheraindogs.com.
Article by: Carol Soudah
Submitted: September, 2001
Email: Carol@thelamusicscene.com
Photo's by: Seth S.
Artists website: http://www.jessieandtheraindogs.com
|
|
