When artists send me CD's to review and play on SFCR, I always have this nagging fear in the back of my mind, "what if he's no good? - should I do the review and tell the world, or is it better to abide by the old adage, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all?"

So when I opened the package from Jay Powell, I wasn't sure what to expect. My fears were alleviated, however, from the moment I popped the CD in the player in my truck. This one is a Keeper!

Jay Powell doesn't yet have a web site, so I can't let you hear for yourself how good he really is. So I'll have to see if my description can do him justice.

Jay is a native of Louisiana, now residing in Tennessee, who got his start in music at a young age, as part of JJ STAR, a band made up of he and 5 of his 6 brothers, the name of which was created from each of their initials. Jay was home-schooled spent much of his time singing Gospel with his mother and father, manager Tom Powell. JJ STAR broke up when the bass player got married and moved back to Louisiana.

While hanging out at the Broken Spoke Saloon in Nashville, Jay met Darran Smith of the DanceHall Doctors, who were playing there when not on the road with Tim McGraw. Jay was invited to sing with the band, and they hit it off. Darran has a studio so Jay and the Doctors laid down some tracks, and "Louisiana is just a Heartbeat Down the Line", a collection of 10 new songs, was born. (I'm sure this is the short version of a much longer story). The album was re-cut at Buck's Place with the help of Bobby G. Rice.

Jay claims George Strait, Travis Tritt and Garth Brooks as influences. The Strait influence is easily seen in a couple of the tracks on this CD. Jay's normal band is called the "Hard Drivers".

The song "Last Lap", written by Jay's dad Tom, is a moving tribute to the legendary Dale Earnhardt. Tom says "we are presently promoting 'Last Lap' for the Bristol NASCAR Race." Jay will be in Johnson City on the weekend of the 24th of March to help promote the single. Even though I personally don't follow NASCAR very closely, this song moves me. Its haunting undertones make you feel like you are back in the stands that fateful day in February of 2001.

If you're looking for a great song to play with the windows down, "Man Down", written by Darran Smith, is probably my favorite track on this CD. I predict this one will hit the big time before too long. It has a good steady beat and a catchy hook line. Its the story of what happens when a buddy goes missing on Poker Night.

"Living On Love" is another track penned by Jay's dad. From the fiddle intro you can tell this one is a lively, classic country style number. "Daddy Don't Live Here Anymore", a Smith composition, will tear at the heart strings of any divorced father who longs to spend more time with his kids. (I usually have to skip this one - its a little too moving.)

All told, this is a really good album, containing a good mix of fast and slow songs, all with a down-home feel. There is not a bad song in the bunch, and I'll be keeping this one handy for quite a while.

It is available for now on eBay while they are working on getting a web site up and running, or email CenterStage Entertainment for more information.

Your $12.95 will be money well spent if you decide to purchase this CD.

-Jeff Aylor, SFCR

MP3
Title Track Man Down Last Lap	Title Track Man Down Last Lap

Review © 2006 JWA & SFCR^™