BLACK JOE LEWIS

Tell em What Your Name Is

2009-05-11

This album works. Jim Eno’s competent production, tight instrumental performances, and emphatic vocal presentations make Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears’ latest release, “Tell ‘em What Your Name Is” a success. The music is all blues, jazz, and soul, while simultaneously rejecting the industry-imposed conventions of those genres. The lyrics are blunt and the music is equally unrestrained. Unfortunately, almost the whole album is unsuitable for radio because of profanity. Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to this great album over and over. The record is available from Lost Highway Records in March, 2009.