The Lonnie Jolson Band "Swamp" (Gator Records, 1981) (LP)
(Produced by John A. Kreager, Lonnie Jolson & Waddy Thompson)
An eclectic, laid-back set from a Florida band that sometimes gets tagged as "southern rock," but seems closer to Austin outlaw to me... Songwriter Lonnie Jolson also recorded a few singles dating back the late 'Seventies, with a band then called Moonshine, but by the time this came out, he was the marquee artist. He's backed by singer Donna Hodges, who takes the lead on a version of "House Of The Rising Sun," and harmony on several other tracks, along with Dale Holmes (bass), Waddy Thompson (drums), and David Watkins on lead guitar and slide. Though Jolson was living in Immokalee, Florida when this album came out, he previously lived in Mississippi, and seems to have worked in both Tampa and West Palm Beach, recording singles for labels in both towns. Anyway, I dig this one. The sound production ain't fancy, and it's a good match for Jolson's decidedly un-Nashville singing style, which evokes various other folks -- on the opening track, "River City Queen," he's got this hesitant little catch in his voice that reminds me of Townes Van Zandt; on much of the record he sounds a lot like Jimmie Dale Gilmore, or maybe a little like John Prine, or even a little like Charlie Daniels, particularly on his cover of Tony Joe White's "They Caught The Devil And Put Him In Jail In Eudora, Arkansas." It's worth noting that about half the songs are his own originals, and across the board these are far more engaging that the cover songs, which include a low-wattage version of the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers." Personally, I like it that he was more into the originals -- highlights include Jolson's "Let's Reason Together" and a tune called "Some Ol' Sad Song," which seems to have been written by drummer Waddy Thompson. Overall this may seem a bit sluggish, but it's authentic as all get-out.
