So many emerging blues artists seem intent on making their mark by altering the genre beyond recognition. Ottawa ’s JW-Jones, still relatively young by blues standards, takes a more conventional approach.  Working within, rather than trying to tear the twelve-bar idiom apart, he just keeps making better and better recordings.  And with “Bluelisted,” his fifth for Canada ’s NorthernBlues label, he’s crafted a disc that ought to be utterly ubiquitous when the year’s best lists are compiled.

JW states up front that he set out to assemble a guitar-oriented collection this time around, so apart from horn accents and a single guest turn by Baty on harmonica, guitar is what we get here.  Liner notes even provide a ‘roadmap’ for guitar geeks, with solos, players, and channels listed to help listeners determine who’s who. 

But Jones is wise enough to put the music first, so it’s the songs, not the fretwork, that stand out.  The focus is tight, with easy-going grooves in support of succinct solos that serve the song, rather than the other way around.  His writing has continued to mature - his musical ideas here are fully developed, and he marshals available forces to excellent effect, working with long-time cohort Frank Scanga on horn charts that add harmonic sophistication without sacrificing rhythmic urgency.   

Despite the virtuosic talents of JW’s guests, most tunes clock in under the four-minute mark, with a few short ‘n’ sweet at less than three.  Variety is ample, from the strutting funk of “Double-Eyed Whammy” that kicks things off, to the Texas shuffle of “Can’t Play A Playboy.”  The furious romp of Little Richard’s “Mad About You Baby” is followed by the easy swing of “Wasted Life.”  “Heavy Dosage” is pure jazz (and pure delight, as the three guitarists trade riffs while Innes and Taylor comp furiously), and JW revisits the titular tune of an earlier outing with “Bogart Bounces Again.”  There are back-to-back covers of B. B. King, the stop-time swing of “That’s Wrong Mama” and the shuffling “Waiting On You,” and deep blues by way of “Out Of Service Blues,” Baty providing masterful accompaniment on harmonica that leaves one wishing for more. 

Jones’ vocals have improved with each recording, and while his voice lacks natural power he’s learned to work well within his range, with carefully considered phrasing coloring his lines with nuance and shading rather than bombast.  He’s worked hard and it shows in every note.  

From writing to performances, sound to packaging, this is a first-rate effort that shows craft, care and attention to detail at every turn, yet exudes a palpable sense of joyous exuberance in every track.  Swinging like mad from beginning to end and featuring some genuinely jaw-dropping fretwork, this one’s utterly essential listening. 

Highly recommended!