Consummate guitarist-singer-songwriter is Lloyd Jones puts it all together in fine fashion on Love Gotcha (Blind Pig 5057; 42:49). A raspy-voiced soul man with an impeccable sense of time and a killer instinct on guitar, Lloyd swings and wails on driving shuffles like “I Declare” and “Treat Me Like the Dog I Am.” He rocks with authority on the revved-up “Fools Gold” and the Sonny Terry-Brownie McGhee vehicle “Ride and Roll,” featuring husky vocal backing from Terry Evans. Jones pays a fitting homage to funk icon James Brown on “Nickels and Dimes” and smolders on an infectious Memphis-styled groove on the title track. Guitaristically, he passes the slow blues test on “Old News” and picks out some Piedmont stylings on the unaccompanied “Big Ol’ Shirt.” This talented journeyman has been carrying the blues torch since the early ’70s and is well deserving of wider recognition.
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