JIM JONES ALL STARS & THE MOLEE SHAKES
Bluesy garage tock ‘n’ roll ‘n’ soul never testified so hard. An enthralling, joyous wall of beautiful sound.
Having not seen Jim Jones since I caught Thee Hypnotics way back when, tonight marks the third time I have seen Jim Jones All Stars in less than 18 months. They must be doing something right, right?
First up, we have the garage-country-swamp-blues-gothic Americana of MOLEE SHAKES. The music is fairly minimalist - thanks I guess to the two piece without drums format - but the songs are great.
Singing guitarist Morweena has a strong voice, whilst Lee’s playing on guitar and lapsteel - everything sounds better with lapsteel - is, at times, sublime. The only disappointment is the number of punters at the back who decided to converse loudly throughout the set. If you don’t wanna listen, there’s the garden and lounge downstairs so you don’t disturb those of us that do.
And so the main attraction, JIM JONES ALL STARS, who I am not only here to review but end up acting as Jones’ prompter/audio setlist…
The band proclaim themselves to be purveyors of ramalama rhythm ‘n’ blues but I’d describe ’em as garage-blues-rock-‘n’-soul: equal parts Sonics, Little Richard, Howlin’ Wolf and the JBs, with a healthy does of punk attitude and energy thrown in for good measure.
Tonight, the very spirit of rock ‘n’ roll that is lead vox and guitarist Jones is backed up by stalwart All Stars guitarist Carlton Mounsher, Gavin Jay on bass, pianist Elliot Mortimer, vocalist/percussionist Alison Jones and baritone sax-man Tom Hodges. Joining the band are stand-in saxophonist Luciano and Pearl Harts drummer Sara Leigh-Shaw. The former joined the tour with one day’s notice and the latter is playing her first set with the band – not that you’d know as both fit in perfectly and play blinders.
The seventeen song set and two song encore leans heavily on (excellent) new album Cat Fight but includes covers of Little Richard and Bukka White, along with tracks from Jones’ previous outfits Jim Jones Revue and Black Moses. Highlights for me are Make It Rain, Goin’ Higher and a storming take on Thee Hypnotics’ Shakedown.
Jim Jones All Stars can be chaotic and, with eight people on stage it can be a relentless wall of sound that, whilst sounding totally unlike Swans reaches Swans levels of intensity, but it is also thrilling and totally joyous.
