For A Good Time Call – Blackie Jackett Jr. Album Review and Q&A
Blackie Jackett Jr., the self-described “well lubricated country steamroller, ready to blast their unique brand of old school smart-assed country rock around the globe” has new music to share with the world. And the world should listen.
For A Good Time Call is the first full-length release from the band. And with 11 songs and a 36-minute runtime, the band gets after it from start to finish.
For the uninitiated, Blackie Jackett Jr. is a supergroup of sorts with James Black and Rick Jackett of Finger 11 fame, along with Jimmy Reid from The Matthew Good Band and Sandra Dee Tipping, who (as the story goes) was discovered by James and Rick as she belted out hits by Dolly and Loretta Lynn on karaoke night while bartending at their local bar in Toronto. While it may not be the most conventional tale of a country band coming together, it’s working out pretty well for BJJ.
Over a few listening sessions before the album’s release on 4/20, it became clear that this is a band that has its shit together. They may come across as loosey-goosey party people, but when it comes to the music, they know what they’re doing.
Delivering slick and superb musicianship paired with solid lyrical songwriting and performances, For A Good Time Call is a really fun listen. It’s an album full of songs that don’t take themselves too seriously when they’re talking about booze and weed, but are sweet and enamoring when they’re talking about good love.
As a collection, the album flows nicely, moving from one track to the next without any loss in momentum or focus. And, with the top-notch talent in the band, it’s a tracklist that we can’t wait to hear live at CMW 2018!
Related: Canadian Music Week 2018 Must See Shows
We caught up with Blackie Jackett Jr. to talk about the new album, their writing sessions, who influences them and more in a brand new Q&A. Check it out, and then hit play and listen to For A Good Time Call.
Blackie Jackett Jr. Q&A
Q) It took a bit of time for this album to come together and be released. How does it feel to know that the time has come to let everyone listen to For A Good Time Call?
BJJ) We just did what every band would love to do. We took 10 years to make our second record. Now that it’s about to pop out of the can. We. Can’t. Fucking. Wait.
Q) Back in the fall of 2016 at Canadian Country Music Week, we asked what you needed in the room for a songwriting session and you told us “Whiskey & Weed”… is it safe to assume that they were both present when you wrote the songs for this album?
BJJ) More weed, more whiskey, more heartache, more hangovers. We must have enough in our system by now to have whiskey and weed in the room no matter what we do. It’s all about the good time, being loose and listening to the semi-wise bullshit that comes out of people’s mouths when they’re fucked up.
Related: 5 Quick Questions With Blackie Jackett Jr.
Q) Whether you’re singing about good love or waiting on weed, there’s a classic country sound that flows through this record. Are there any artists in particular that influence that sound?
BJJ) Well we gotta start with Hank I and his Luke the Drifter stuff. Then we get to Roger Miller, Jerry Reid, Jerry Jeff Walker, Loretta Lynn, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt all the way up to 80s Dolly and Kenny.
Q) There’s a line in Drunken Eyes that speaks to me very personally, “if you’re at the bar and you’re not ordering a drink, you’re just in the way.”. Do you have any other bar etiquette tips that you think people need to remember at all times?
BJJ) Don’t be afraid to buy the band a drink. And ALWAYS tip the bartender.
Q) If the entire band Blackie Jackett Jr. could be personified as one dude sitting in the corner of a dark hole-in-the-wall bar drinking, what do you think would be the first thing people would notice about him?
BJJ) Either the sunglasses or the fact that he’s standing on the table.
Q) If we asked you to describe For A Good Time Call in one sentence, what would you come up with?
BJJ) It’s a homemade mash that’s good for a mellow buzz or a real rager.
Thanks to Blackie Jackett Jr. for playing along with our questions… now hit play and listen to For A Good Time Call now!
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