Jerome Pietri – Fishing in the Rain
Phoebus Records 2021
www.facebook.com/jeromepietriblues
10 Tracks; 48 Minutes
There is little available on the Internet regarding Jerome Pietri, although it notes that he is from “Mississippi, Corsica and the volcanoes of the Auvergne,” and that this album is recorded in the West Indies and in France. It is also noted that since the age of 15 he has had “one foot in the blues and the other in rock,” which is clearly evident in this album, leaning more heavily toward the rock end. The album contains a wide variety of tempos, fast rock, shuffles, boogie-woogie and a slow ballad.
All songs are originals, with the exception of a ‘bluesier’ and more guitar-heavy version of “Money” (by Pink Floyd). In addition, “Collagen Woman” is clearly a parody of “American Woman” (by the Guess Who), changing only the lyrics. Pietri is clearly a very talented guitarist and is accompanied by accomplished musicians on this album. Some of the best moments are the guitar solos in “Monkey on my Back,” “Money,” and “Trophy,” and the backing vocals by Fabienne Della Moniqua on “Plastic Island”. Pietri’s vocals have character and are good for storytelling, but listeners should not expect an extensive range or impressive runs from him. While heavy on blues-rock, Fishing in the Rain contains one boogie-woogie number, reminiscent of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and one clear blues number, “Fishing in the Rain”.
The cover art shows a guitarist playing in highly polluted waters, and the album contains a quote thanking the marine wildlife for continued inspiration and shaming those “who pollute the oceans and the earth for their own profit.” It seems very likely that some songs, like “Plastic Island” likely contain very meaningful messages; however, the lyrics on several of the tracks are somewhat difficult to hear and unfortunately a written version is not contained in the album or available on the Internet. This was particularly disappointing for “Collagen Woman,” as the lyrics which are clear, (“Collagen Woman, you’ll never make me feel, Collagen Woman, nothing about you is real…everything about you is a fake”) sound clever and intriguing.
Overall, this is an enjoyable, interesting, mainly blues-rock album performed by excellent musicians.
