Ocean or a Teardrop (2004)

About this title: Already established as a major young figure in the blues, David Jacobs-Strain widens his horizons a bit with this album. Blues remains at the roots, but in some cases, such as the adventurous "Earthquake" or the lyrical "Illinois," it's a little obscured by the branches overhead. That's not to say he's entirely turning his back on what begat him: there are splendid versions of songs by Blind Willie Johnson and Mississippi Fred McDowell here, while his version of Sleepy John Estes' "Girl I Love" is a delight of slide guitar played with a maturity far beyond his young ears. But Jacobs-Strain ... read more

Tracks:

1. Kokomo Blues [McDowell]
2. Ocean or a Teardrop [Jacobs-Strain]
3. Girl I Love [Estes]
4. Sleepless Dream [Jacobs-Strain/Burtt]
5. Take My Chances [Jacobs-Strain/Josep]
6. Soul of a Man [Johnson]
7. Yelapa Breakdown
8. Shoot the Devil [Jacobs-Strain]
9. Earthquake [Jacobs-Strain]
10. Illinois [Jacobs-Strain]
11. [Untitled Track]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.