Jay Gavin – Road Ready
This is Americana music with authenticity from an experienced Canadian artist. He writes autobiographical songs filled with reminiscing with a bitter wedge of melancholy sweetened by Jay Gavin (guitar/vocals) who was a retired punk & metal rocker. His fan base seems to be drifting over to something more realistic – outlaw country & Jay is road-ready to lead the way.
There are moments when Gavin’s presentation touches upon Johnny Bond storytelling (“Mexican Food, Cold Beers & Tattoos”) & when he’s serious he ties you up in John Prine/Roger Miller threads. Jay’s is a story about musical evolution. Some artists don’t succeed. Pat Boone, a good vocalist that he was & he was, went from rock crooner in the early 60s to metal artist in his later years. What was he thinking?
But Jay isn’t Pat Boone. His transition is far more idealistic, productive & uplifting. There are 10 Road Ready tunes on his sophomore CD (Drops May 3/Nashville Music Group/37:00) produced by Grammy-nominated Denny Knight & recorded in Hendersonville, TN.
Gavin has the voice for outlaw country in the same cornucopia as Kris Kristofferson & John P. Hammond when he narrates tunes like “Better Man.” On tunes like this Jay is foot-stomping good if not two-tissue poignant. There aren’t any real knockoffs – just influences. After all, just because a man rides a Harley & another rides the same bike doesn’t make them copyists – they are simply of the same mind. Like Boxcar Willie was Willie Nelson crossed with Johnny Cash.
The comparisons with Kris end with “Maybe It Was Me,” where Jay’s closer to the humor of Roger Miller with a Townes van Zandt/Steve Goodman tonality. But his is a little more cowpoke. Quite good & lots of fun. He continues with “Government Tobacco,” a close Kinky Friedman-era balladry. There may be multiple influences, but Jay as a total package is entertaining. He even looks the part too.
The repertoire Jay mines is primarily country thick since he sings about everyman. Men drink, smoke, pass wind, drive fast & spend more money on their cars than women, but they always reserve space on their laps for that special angel. They play checkers, go fishing with bad boys & sleep with lonely dreams of chances lost. Yeah, Jay Gavin wraps up the Everyman nicely in his novella tunes.
It’s a musical territory that was visited often by the late John Prine, Guy Clark & Townes van Zandt. They’re gone now & Jay’s stepping up & with songs like “Better Left Alone,” which qualifies him.
Highlights – “Mexican Food, Cold Beers & Tattoos,” “Feels Like Rain,” “Road Ready,” “Better Man,” “Maybe It Was Me,” “Government Tobacco,” “Rhythms & Rhymes” & “Better Left Alone.”
Players – Jeff Williams (guitar), Steve Hinson (pedal steel guitar/dobro), Deanie Richardson (fiddle), Jeff Armstrong, William Ellis & Jay Gorman with Billy Don Burns & Roger Alan Wade.
Photo courtesy of Jay’s website. CD @ Apple Music & https://www.jaygavinmusic.com/home
Video premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2024/02/12/video-premiere-jay-gavin-better-man-featuring-billy-don-burns/