Zeno Jones – Disillusion Blues
White Diamond Records
12 Tracks – 43 Minutes
Louisville, Kentucky native Zeno Jones was a solo/duo semi-finalist at the 2022 and 2023 International Blues Challenge. He received a guitar as a youth but did not play it with any serious intentions until he was about 17. Music was never a major part of his house growing up. He listened to whatever was playing on the radio or in his friends’ cars, but really never had any clue who the artists were or even song titles. His musical journey did not start until a friend introduced him to Bob Dylan. A cover of Bukka White’s “Fixin’ to Die Blues” on Dylan’s first album grabbed his attention. Dylan’s respect for the past and his covers of old blues tunes, led Zeno to reach out in all directions to learn about the blues.
Zeno’s focus is on the old style of the blues and its intersection with other styles of Americana like gospel, country, and bluegrass. He states, “the modern blues landscape is a little bit too saturated with classic blues-rock, soul and funk blues as well as a jazz/easy listening style of blues. So, I try to focus on home styles, whether it is front-porch stomping music by myself or a garage-punk blues style with a group. I believe the guitar should be an extension of the voice, and the voice is the most important instrument in blues. Once I read that Muddy Waters admitted that the new age rockers might be better than him at guitar, but they’d never be as good as him at singing the blues and he was right. I want to focus more on my singing, more on using my voice as a wailing, bending, otherworldly instrument like the old masters and less like an aspiring lounge singer. ”
Zeno lists his vocal influences as Charley Patton, Son House and B.B. King and his guitar influences as Bukka White, Freddy King, R.L. Burnside and a modern influence of Jack White. Today Zeno is a one-man show playing his guitar while keeping a rhythm on his suitcase drum and tambourine. He said the influence to play using that set-up occurred when he saw a lesser- known artist, Reverend Deadeye, who presented himself as a former traveling revivalist preacher who performed gospel with a touch of the blues. Zeno now describes his style as “blues with a touch of gospel”.
The album features twelve original songs all recorded live in the studio beginning with “Upton Blues” featuring a burning guitar as he howls ” I’m not doing anybody no harm, out here selling my Kentucky Moonshine”. Upton is a small Kentucky town. Next, he says he has “Gone Away” heading down to North Carolina. I’ll be in jail before the dawn”. “On Cold Beverage (Stonewater Blues)”, the percussion action from his foot drives a powerful rhythm behind a blazing slide guitar and he asks her “to come lie on my bed and listen to some Charley Patton, just bring me a cold beverage”.
He says, “White Lightning” “killed me, put me on the run”. next he tells her “If You Wanna to Leave” “there’s the door”. “This time tomorrow, I ‘m going to be on the way.” He slows things down with the melodic “Bury Me” as he says that “I can’t believe you killed me”.
“Nobody’s Knockin” on my door, but “somebody’s breakin’ down my door” as he says “my mother is crying, picking out my gravestone” in a tale of murder driven by Zeno’s haunting guitar work. “Colleen” is a bouncy, upbeat instrumental presumably dedicated to his wife. “Muddy” kicks things up again with his guitar flying at full speed again.
“She don’t want him “No More” and “Pretty soon, she don’t want me no more”. “She’s walking long and walking strong and baby, she don’t want to come home”. On “Arkansas BBQ”, he proclaims, “God is gonna set this world on fire someday” in a fit of gospel-fringed warning. The title song “Disillusion Blues”, he begs “Help me, Lord, the river is risin’ up to my chin” as he runs through the gamut of issues weighing down on him.
The liner notes “Best enjoyed with a high-proof bourbon on a hot, southern summer night”. Words of wisdom as he definitely will leave you sweating after the intense workout. His dedication to the delta styled blues will permeate your skin.
