Jubal John finally releases some of his gems that he has been mining for more than a decade gigging in and around Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Right Now shows the wide ranging influences both British and American that make up the threads of his musical inspiration and record collection.
Jubal can be seen as a lone Minstrel or with a sizable combo showing off his songwriting prowess at a Five Points Pizza House, at Marty’s or any size watering hole on any given night
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The deep well of knowledge shows in a song cycle that is as much an Alabama interloper as a British Pub Rocker.
Mr. Right Now sounds as analog as Phil Spector’s Lennon stamps or modern Americana production.
Rather than running his voice through a double rack voice processor that can make you sound like Tom Jones on steroids, he double tracks quite a bit and leaves the voice sitting in the mix that creates production that is part alternate version – Travelling Wilburys and Buddy Miller getting some vibes in his living room with Wilco as a backing band.
Did I say an Alternate Travelling Wilburys? Yes, much of Jubal John’s songwriting and voicing makes me feel like I am listening to a core group made up of Elvis Costello, John Lennon, Roy Wood and Johnny Cash. Okay, let’s break that down, a Beatle, a pub rocker, the guy who invented Electric Light Orchestra out of The Move only to leave and start Roy Wood’s Wizard and pull in some Fifties music as well as one of the Million Dollar Quartet.
I’m not going to break it down song by song. Let’s just say when you see the shifts from “ Cupid’s Pink Slip” to “Be Careful” to “Women and Cars” and “Churches” you are going to wish that Jubal was the core songwriter of your band.
Wait, I forgot “Savannah” – The one I would push on Top 30 radio. Oh wait! There is no top 30 radio. It doesn’t matter, get the vinyl and blast it through your Polk Audio columns and it will make you happy.
Wait till you hear the strings come in on “Never Had A Love.” If that doesn’t give you goosebumps then you might want to check your pulse.
Considering that Birmingham has the most diverse excellent talent pool in the South, this album is a stand out.
- Brad Hardisy, Nashville, Tennessee
The Nashville Bridge 