Stew Review
by Leeming

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I saw Jake Andrews in concert on Saturday, September 18.

Let me tell you, this kid can wail. He is only 19 years old, but his voice belies his age.
I have always thought that the best guitar player I had ever seen live was my brother Glenn. However, after seeing Jake, and my brother's reactions at seeing Jake, I might have to change my mind.

I am a novice guitarist. I can play rhythm and strum along with the best of them. But that is nothing. Glenn can play. Hell, Glenn can play damn good. And the fact that he was impressed with the young Mr. Andrews speaks volumes to me. He was tapping his feet, bobbing his head, and even raising the roof. The bottom line is that Glenn thought this kid had a true talent.

And, when it comes to guitar playing, that is good enough for me.

For a nineteen year old kid, he sure seems to have figured out adult life. His face is that of a wizened man. His eyes tell stories that shouldn't be heard. His voice carries across the crowd with the authority of a veteran blues man. But he is only a teenager. How can someone so young feel these fears and anxieties that perplex those of us in the upper age demographic?

I am afraid to ask.

I'm not even going to talk about his father, who was a well-traveled musician himself. Jake's songs speak for themselves. Watching him play reminded me of the late Stevie Ray Vaughn. It wasn't necessarily the music itself, but the emotion that spurred it on. When he sings, he does so in the voice of a man. It's not about a normal teenager worrying about zits, the senior prom, or getting laid. He sings to everyone. We all have problems, whether they be relationships, jobs, family, or whatever. Show me someone with absolutely no problems, and I'll show you someone who hates the blues.

Well, the blues speak, and they do so to the common man. And I think anyone would be hard-pressed to find someone that could speak the blues like Jake Andrews.

Did I say he's only nineteen?

John