March 8th, 2010
It was only a few months ago that I found out that Lorne Jones had a protégé - however not one made by the good folks at Mazda, but rather one made by our very own webmaster, Laurie Clark.
Talking about Laurie's son Jamie here, who is a raw talent that is ripening and blossoming with each passing day? The lad's music almost defies description, which is why after a couple of months of listening to two of his songs almost exclusively, I am still unsure as to what to say about his singing and his song writing that will do it justice.
The first time I heard “Captain Sane” and “Drunken Ship ", I was virtually speechless. Jamie Clark - raw, powerful, in your face music - right here, right now, and if ya don't like it, well tough kitty!!
The raw power of his music is what gets to me - It ain't exactly country, it ain't exactly rock, it ain't exactly country rock - but what it is for sure is good - damn good.
Jamie's music makes you wanna get everyone the hell out of the room, open up a Bud, or, well never mind, then crank the volume up, and just get lost in the intensity of it all, and it is nothing if not intense.
This young fellow has a voice that is just gonna get better and better, like a fine wine I suppose, but right now, as fresh and new as he is that voice is plenty good - has kept me entertained for some time now, and am most anxious to hear more from the album they are working at in the studio.
I can see Jamie on a stage somewhere, oblivious to the audience, just playing and a'singing from his heart, and capturing the crowd with what is obviously his sheer delight in making music.
He is a young fellow, but he sings and writes like an old soul. Hard to imagine in this day of rap, hip-hop and other crap like that, that a young song writer would come up with an opening lyric so mature and worldly as the first line of “Drunken Ship.” - " Put my hands to a hard day’s work " - Like man, Jamie, what goes thru your mind when you put pen to paper - Not your average young writer for sure, and the music community will be much better off because Jamie is anything but average. He rocks and rocks hard but his music ain't rock, at least not as I understand the term. I am still as pleasantly perplexed by his music as I was when I first heard it.
And the two cuts I have been listening to are just very rough cuts, and just can't wait to hear the finished product - I wanna hear the whole album, and I wanna hear it now!! That is how good this young man is.
It would just be wrong of me to conclude this tidbit section without paying tribute to the lead guitar player on these two tracks - Johnny Young - It is Johnny's crazy wild guitar licks that help bring Jamie’s songs to life. What this guy don't know about playing guitar ain't been invented yet. Reminds me of Carlos Santana on speed - just amazing - like Jamie's singing, Johnny's playing is loud, angry, wild and raw. Keep an eye on the Desolation Sound website for more from Jamie Clark - This kid is da bomb!!!!