(Article by: American Blues Scene)
You can tell a lot about a person when you learn where they were raised and came of age. In the case of Joe Lewis: Picayune Mississippi, located about an hour or so from New Orleans. The sounds of the Delta and blues music were the forever background music Joe heard while growing up. So, it is no wonder that those sounds deeply influenced him as he picked up his first guitar at age ten and began to play.

In American music, the lines between genres are thin and the roots of each genre intertwine as they grow. That line has always been blurred between blues and gospel, two genres that are considered the source of all modern music. As a gifted musician the choice to play electric guitar and sing words of praise is not a new thing; Sister Rosetta Tharpe pioneered the genre in the early 50s. However, the Joe Lewis Band are trailblazers in Contemporary Christian Blues music.

Up Next should prove to be another fine tool in their mission to open hearts and minds as well as doors.

Lewis and his power trio of Tom Cole on bass and drummer Derrick Enyard began 2020 by representing the Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. They then embarked on recording their fourth album enlisting super producer Kevin Shirley to mix the album at his famous studio, The Cave, in Sydney Australia and having the album mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig. This A-team clearly delivered to create a first-class sonic landscape with ten original tracks, a mixture of straight-ahead blues, funk and rockin’ soul centered around Lewis’ stellar guitar playing and sparkling tenor vocals. The rambunctious spirit of the album and its words of positivity and praise strive to blur the line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The session opens with a chiming guitar that leads us into the unconventional love song “I Like It,” with words of devotion set to a funky groove. Lewis continues to give praise for his beloved on the soul track “Hot Lovin’ Momma,” doing his best James Brown, along with special guest Biscuit Miller laying down an authentic Bootsy Collins’bass line. The jump blues “Can I Get With You,” features furious fretboard work and playful lyrics on a great danceable number. Lewis spells out his devotion as a seeker on the dynamic “Do Your Work In Me” and then delivers a touching tribute to a dearly departed sister on the emotional ballad “Broken Angel Of The Delta,” a real highlight of the album.

The second half of the session begins with the account of the night Lewis discovered his calling while listening to a real bluesman at a local jook joint on the edgy “Do Drop Inn,” and then proceeds to lead the fellows through a blazing instrumental “Twang A Doodle Boom Boom,” swinging with fury. The trio continuous to show off their proficiency of authentic blues forms on the Texas shuffle “Baby Rocks The Boat,” and another time shifting funk blast “Defying Gravity,” with a clever lyrical twist. Lewis ends the set with an acoustic driven devotional “Jesus I Love The Way You Love,” a sincere benediction from a faithful servant.

“The way to influence people with your music is to put your own heart and soul on the line for all the world to see. If your heart and soul are right and your message is right you now have the power to influence people in a positive direction.” – Joe Lewis

Joe Lewis Band: Up Next Review (Gloria Ruth Finney – March 30, 2021) Blues Rock Review
Bursting with the sound of blues and gospel, Up Next is the newest album from the Joe Lewis Band. The ten-track release is the fourth album from the trio; comprised of Joe Lewis – lead guitar and vocals, Tom Cole – bass, and Derrick Enyard – drums. The album is a mixture of contemporary blues and gospel, flooded with familiar sounds of style and influence.
Joe Lewis Band hails from Missouri, although Lewis himself cut his teeth growing up about an hour outside New Orleans, in Picayune, Mississippi. It was there where Delta blues quickly formed his style. For Lewis, life’s pitfalls around the age of 25 led him to discover his purpose – bearing his soul within the music, while incorporating the message of the gospel.
Previous releases from the band were primarily gospel, however, Up Next, turns the dial up a notch with “fast” lyrics and heavy grooves, landing this album more on the contemporary side of blues. The album was mixed in Sydney, Australia by the legendary Kevin (The Caveman) Shirley, known for years of expertise working with Dream Theatre and Joe Bonamassa. Up Next, was mastered by the acclaimed, Bob Ludwig.
“I Like It,” is by far the hottest track on the album, with an intro similar to an up-tempo version of Gary Clark Jr.’s, “Bright Lights”. “I Like It,” is definitely the song to play again and again. Up Next, chronicles the life, love, and faith between Lewis and his wife; the first time he saw her, their first date, as well as the hardships of loss of family. Lewis beautifully slows it down in “Broken Angel of the Delta,” to commemorate the life his late sister-in-law. “Do Drop Inn,” takes the funk back up, closely followed by “Baby Rocks the Boat,” which has a highly recognizable Stevie Ray Vaughan taste to it. While a wide range of influences are easily noted track to track, Lewis’ vocals and technique present themselves as a testament to his versatility.
Released Feb. 26, Up Next, is garnering airplay and rank, charting across the Roots Music Report for multiple weeks in March, including Top 50 Contemporary Blues Albums.

The Review: 7.5/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– I Like It
– Hot Lovin’ Momma
– Broken Angel of the Delta
– Do Drop Inn
– Baby Rocks the Boat
The Big Hit

– I Like It