Little Bobby and the JumpstartTickets in the Glove Box2001Green Bullet Productions

Little Bobby and the Jumpstart - Tickets in the Glove Box - 2001 - Green Bullet Productions

Written by Warren Dallin

Little Bobby & The Jumpstarts personify a mixture of different 1950's blues music styles even though they have only been playing around Toronto as a group since 1997. Little Bobby is a master player of amplified blues harp who invited Mississippi born, but Canadian resident Mel Brown, as a special guest to showcase his wicked piano playing on their first disc. The song selection is evenly divided between six originals and six covers.

The originals are excellently done and not out of place with any 50's style blues sound. The best song on the album is the original Don't Get Caught Looking, which begins with Little Bobby's warbling harp intro played through a bullet mic. He continues achieving the right mood by singing the lyrics through the green bullet. The bobbing rhythm beat of the bass and drums back up the haunting echo of the guitar solo. But Bobby steals the limelight by playing some extended misery whistle solos, where you hear him catching his breath through the harp, which proves he is playing his lungs out. Although the liner notes admit the disc was recorded with the intent of being representative of their live performances, the nuances keep it true to his idol Little Walter.

The only song out of character is the funky jam No Second Chances, which definitely benefits from Mel Brown's guitar influence and request to give him that beat again. The song is a great showcase of their ability to keep things modern while playing what feels and sounds good. 4 'O' Clock in the Morning speeds thing up a bit and offers distorted harp and guitar solos that allow the listener a chance to see what they can to do keep an extended solo moving.

The originals seem like classics with the help of the lyrics which are about darker subjects like mean women and bad love.

The album is also interspersed with covers of such artists as T-Bone Walker, Earl Hooker and Smiley Lewis. Little Bobby's voice can adapt to the style of the song selection which keeps each song fresh. The band really shines for their bang on covers of Sonny Boy Williamson II's Keep it To Yourself and You Killing Me. Even though they are reminiscent of the originals, they're not pointless covers, but are more about keeping the tradition alive. All the artists on those tracks understand and mimic the feel and style of the original versions.

The album finishes with the original title track Tickets in the Glove Box. As he gets pulled over by the fuzz, Bobby remind us that not a single ticket is paid…but assure yourself if the tickets are for impersonating the 1950's blues style, he has earned time for good behaviour. A fitting finish to the album is hearing the amp being unplugged…an end to making the amplified and slightly distorted sounds crisp and enjoyable, which is what they do best.

Copyright 2002. Review by Warren Dallin.

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