Jeff Rogers – Dream Job
Diesel Management Productions
9 tracks; 38 minutes
Jeff Rogers came to prominence when he and fellow Canadians JW-Jones and Jamie Holmes won the 2020 IBC, using the first two letters of their names to form the band name, the HOROJO Trio. However, Jeff has been around the Ottawa scene for far longer, both as a touring and a session musician and this is his third solo release. Jeff wrote all the songs, in collaboration with Dick Cooper, and travelled to Muscle Shoals in Alabama to record, with Colin Linden producing. The core band is Jeff on lead vocals and piano, Kelvin Holly on guitar, Clayton Ivey on keys, Shonna Tucker on bass and Justin Holder on drums, plus a horn section of Ed Lister (trumpet), Petr Cancura (tenor sax) and Mark Ferguson (trombone). Guests include John Steele on pedal steel, Steve Foley, Anders Drerup and Blair Hogan on guitar and a host of backing vocalists: Sherri Harding, Rebecca Noelle, Sharon Riley, Teena Riley, Jean Lawrence-Scotland, Michelle Francis, Renee Rowe and Patricia Lewis. Colin Linden adds slide guitar to one track and Kellylee Evans duets with Jeff on one tune. Credits for this seasoned set of studio musicians include Little Richard, Bobby Bland, The Staples Singers, Delbert McClinton and Keb Mo’ – quite a list!
Jeff has a soulful voice, ideally suited to material like opener ‘Her Kind Of Trouble’ which starts with his voice and piano before building with choral vocals and fine guitar. The horns make their first appearance on the most uptempo tune here, Jeff finding the perfect romantic match who has him under ‘Lock & Key’. On the title cut Jeff describes the life of the touring musician, not always wonderful, but, for him, it is the ‘Dream Job’. The choir again adds depth to the chorus and the combination of organ and piano gives the number a gospel feel. ‘Mind Of Your Own’ combines a funky rhythm with hints of country, courtesy of Colin Linden’s slide, while ‘Wish You Wouldn’t Go’ is an anguished slow blues in which Jeff regrets neglecting his lady who has decided to give up on their relationship.
‘Saving This Bottle Of Wine’ strikes a more positive lyrical note as Jeff decides that when a close friend needs support it is the perfect time for that bottle he has been keeping; the stripped-back arrangement with piano, organ and pedal steel displays Jeff’s voice well. The horns return for the smooth soul stylings of ‘Dead Of Night’ before the final two tracks, both slower tunes: Kellylee Evans joins Jeff on the aching ballad of finding love, ‘So Worth The Wait’ and ‘Deep Cold Water’ is given a sense of grandeur by the outstanding choir which spurs Jeff on to ever greater vocal heights.
Jeff is a fine, soulful singer, but the album does have a lot of ballads and, by modern standards, is relatively short, so it might have been possible to have added a few more upbeat tunes to balance the album.
