J. Fred Knobloch and Jelly Roll Johnson: Live At The Bluebird Cafe

Singer/songwriter/guitarist J. Fred Knobloch and harmonica player Jelly Roll Johnson turn in a rambunctious, heartfelt, and altogether satisfying set on Live At the Bluebird Café. Knobloch draws upon his deep catalogue of country/blues/pop originals, picking tunes as diverse as the torchy “A Lover Is Forever” (co-written with folk legend Steve Goodman), the reflective “You Know How Women Are,” and the comical “Cold Feet.” His expressive, Mississippi-inflected tenor brings out the wistful nostalgia in “Three Verses” and the dreamy longing in “King of Fools.” Johnson’s harp weaves around Knobloch’s voice and acoustic guitar throughout the performance, adding mournful slides and exuberant flourishes straight from the heart of the Delta. The music here is rootsy yet consistently shows the sort of fluency and polish that comes with years of nightclub dates and recording sessions. Live At the Bluebird Café commends itself to any fan of smart, genre-busting songwriting and spirited, Dixie-fried musicianship.