Jake Andrews  (Audio CD) 
by Jake Andrews

The musical journey from blues prodigy to mature bluesman is a deceptively difficult one, but Jake Andrews has successfully navigated the course in fine form. Andrews, who was jamming on the Austin blues scene with legends like Albert Collins, Otis Rush, and Albert King while still in elementary school, has been a precocious blues pupil. He's graduated from "Little Jake" to "Guitar Jake" to a genuine Mannish Boy capable of stamping his own musical identity on a song. This self-titled recording, following his successful 1999 debut disc, Time to Burn, shows no sign of a sophomore slump, as Andrews skillfully mixes hot licks and solid songs. Almost all the material is Andrews's own, and producer Carla Olson adeptly allows it to speak for itself. Andrews's lean and mean guitar style carries a contemporary edge, but its roots in Stevie Ray Vaughan and his influence, Albert King, are always apparent, even when Andrews expands his sound beyond its blues foundation. Bassist Mike Sconce, also heard on Time to Burn, anticipates and reinforces Andrews's efforts, making songs like "In Your Sunshine," "Easy to Come By," and "They'll Never Know" radio-ready rocking blues hits for a younger generation. --Michael Point