William Jacobs & Marcos Coll Blues Band

WILL JACOBS / MARCOS COLL

Taking our time

Will Jacobs might appear to be just another American blues musician who come to Europe by chance looking for fortune just to tour punctually within the numerous circuits and festivals that proliferate throughout the old continent. We may think that just coming from Chicago the work would be practically done. We would imagine an old black musician with a few decades of experience as a backer taking advantage of the opportunities that Europe always brings to american Blues musicians. We could not be more mistaken. Surprise comes when that American Blues musician is based in Berlin, he is 26 years old, he has been developing his career since he was 12 years old, he is white, multi-instrumentalist and if that is not enough he  joins with someone like Marcos Coll. Founder of the mythical Los Reyes del KO, collaborator in countless projects in which he has always known how to surround himself with first class artists, back from his beginnings with Tonky de la Peña, until arriving at his recent works with the guitarist and singer Stefano Ronchi. In short, someone who has become over the years in a reference internationally as a harp player and  incombustible musician.

 Recorded at Paul Linke, Woodoo Studio and Nakasadacoyona studios in Berlin during 2019 by Alex Ott and Stefano Ronchi, the latter responsible for mixing and mastering. “Taking our time” is a perfect binomial lined up by two great Blues musicians who know everything there is to know to make a brilliant work based on the fundamentals of Jacobs’ compositions. Apart from this he plays guitar and sings, he plays drums and bass throughout the album too with the inestimable value that brings Coll´s wisdom playing harmonica.  

A work that does not abandon orthodoxy at any time but mainly being influenced to a great extent by  Jacobs color and  vocal tone, with evident dyes of Soul and Funk right from the beginning with the recreation of “It is not safe “by Clarence Carter, to move to the more orthodox shuffle in” Going to Berlin “and move mid-time on” What or doing “,  going back to instrumental funk Blues on” C.J.Bounce to C.J.Chenier ”  all of them written by Jacobs.

Followed up by “Stranded” the other cover from the record in shuffle key with Coll´s harp skills “Hey Baby” brings us back to Chicago   electric blues from the sixties, bringing to mind Junior Wells and Buddy Guy golden age. Co-written by both artists “BluesCazorla Booguie” developed as an instrumental song reveals great  understanding between both musicians. The influences are very varied throughout the record  “One too Many Times” could have been written by the Carey Bell and sung by Robert Cray  summing up  the record philosophy wich wanders from  traditional Electric blues to the  the unique perspective of two musicians from different backgrounds, with different influences, but with the same goal, making an excellent record. According to that, they conclude it with the live version of “Going to Berlin “this time with nothing more than Will Jacobs voice and guitar joined by Marcos Coll on harp.

We might think about this record as just another Blues album reviewing the tradition of the genre with more or less fortune.  Just another record full of covers that often justify a tour and keep the artists in motion We could not be more mistaken “Taking our time” is a work with a very defined personality, fleeing from the obvious at all times. Basically, made up from original themes, played by two referents within the European scene. Two artists who join forces and make this work a celebration itself.

 

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