Imagine T. S. Eliot fronting a roadhouse band and playing in a beer joint by the railroad tracks in north central Alabama; then, throw in some bourbon drinking, Biblical exegesis, and strippers just to keep it interesting.

12 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Americana, COUNTRY: Country Blues



Details:
âProdigal Son Blues,â the debut album from Jeff Evans is a collection of worldly, intelligent songs influenced by a love of both literature and American roots music. The Bible, Middle English lyric poetry, Sir Phillip Sidney, T. S. Eliot, Walker Percy, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson are all invoked in an attempt to answer the age old question of how to reconcile the raucousness of Saturday night with the devotion of Sunday morning. In other words, how is it possible to live in two worlds simultaneously? The musical style also reflects this conflict, drawing inspiration from blues, gospel, old time, honky tonk, rockabilly, and even modern alternative country, yet the final product, though, perhaps, not seamless, does attain a unified artistic vision. It is more quilt than blanket, but comfortable and familiar, nonetheless. âProdigal Son Bluesâ is an album in search of a cult following.

Jeff Evans is a Birmingham, Alabama based songwriter who quotes lyrics like Baptists quote scripture. He has been a rather obscure member of Birminghamâs music scene for more than ten years. Evans was a co-founder of the late, and much lamented, Wynthorn Ramblers, a big, fat honky tonk band who werenât afraid to blur the lines between musical genres. Audiences were as likely to hear Howlinâ Wolf and Muddy Waters covers as Merle Haggard and Hank Williams. And, always, sprinkled amongst the schizophrenic cover songs were Jeffâs originals. âChurch Going Women,â âNeon Songs of Sirens,â âSatanâs Chauffeur,â âThe Mockingbird Waltz,â and âEve and the Serpentâ were staples of the Ramblersâ set list. Bookings were often scarce in a town known for its over-abundance of hippie jam bands and southern rock enthusiasts, so the Ramblers disbanded in early 2000. After that, Evans began to focus on acoustic gigs often accompanied by fellow Ramblers veteran Tim Lyons on fiddle and mandolin. The desire to play good music in front of a live audience never left him, and Jeff continues to perform as often as possible. He began work on his debut album, "Prodigal Son Blues," in August,2004, and released it independently in February, 2006.