Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons of Hercules Live at B.B. Kings, Universal City Saturday April 5, 2003. Reviewed in the May 12th issue of Music Connection Magazine.
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The Players: Oscar Jordan, vocals, guitar; Randal Yamamoto, bass; Takahiro Fukuda, drums; Alex Lane, keyboards.
Material: Funky and soulful, Oscar Jordan & The Mighty Sons present hard-driving electric blues with a modern flair. Aggressive in attack, Jordan throws down the gauntlet with his guitar heroics, around which most of his tunes are built. The quartet keeps things up-tempo for the most part, with a sound designed to get people shaking. When these guys do slow down, their mastery of traditional blues rings through clearly, making for a well-rounded, professional package.
Musicianship: Immediately clear is the grade-A skill all four members possess. More understated than his mates, Fukuda nevertheless provides a consistent sturdiness to the music. Along with Yamamoto, whose bass solos are rightfully deserved, Lane adds sparkling touches to the band’s straight-up blues. All this, however, is a side dish to Jordan’s spiraling fretwork. Jordan rips solo after solo of inspired axe-handling that dominates this act’s approach.
Performance: Like many bluesmen before him, Jordan was calm and cool while letting his guitar do the talking. His speedy solo runs were impressive, but it wasn’t until he slowed down and put some space between his notes that Jordan really floored the dinner crowd. From there, the band warmed into an engaging groove that included flashes of Santana and a cover of “Superstitious,” culminating in a shredding finale by Jordan that blew away the crowd and left them wanting more.
Summary: Oscar Jordan & The Sons deliver a charging set of contemporary blues with the focus on Jordan’s guitar wizardry. Assertive, yet unassuming, Jordan delivers on the promise of dropping jaws with his talent. When he focuses on songwriting, as on the more realized and soulful “You and I,” he is irresistible. With more examples like this, there’s no reason for more ears not to be hip to him.
––Albert Vega
