This is an awesome record. I really love it. The songs are brilliant. The lyrics are witty and deep. The tuba player is a genius – what a timing and what a great tone! The guitarist: wow, I like his unique style and his very tasteful tone and the way he’s bending.
What a wonderfully grooving band!
Rated 5 out of 5
Jack Smith –
Bman’s Blues Report
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nowhere To Go But Up, from Smiling Jack Smith & The New Panama Limited and it’s an interesting blues rock set. Opening with Another Year Gone, a blues based rocker, Smiling Jack Smith leads the way on guitar and vocal, backed by David Herrington on tuba and Quique Villafane on drums. David Gwynn holds down the lead guitar role with some really nice riffs includig a few pinched harmonics and phrasing that would make Roy Buchanan proud. On easy folk blues, I Been Worryin’ it’s the tuba backing by Herrington that really gets my attention under some of the best vocals on the release by Smith. Very nice. Uptempo rocker, Don’t Pray Me No Prayers When I’m Gone, is a super toe tapper with a country style flavor. Underlying tuba work by Herrington hits the mark. Random Walk Start All Over Again is a cool, nearly spoken word track with a solid bass line (on tuba) and nicely phrased guitar lead by Gwynn. Laid back, Southbound Train, is a cool radio style track with a strong melody, western and slide style guitar work by Gwynn, the the solid bottom by Herrington on tuba, and snappy drum riffs by Villafane. wrapping the release is title track, Nowhere To Go But Up, with its sing along style and country flavoring. An extended guitar solo by Gwynn blends nicely with the acoustic work of Smith, Herrington on tuba and Villafane on drums. Good closer.
Rated 5 out of 5
Vicente Zumel –
Singer and guitar player Smiling Jack Smith is certainly one of the most active and charismatic musicians on the Madrid scene. He began his career in New York and afterwards he traveled to Vancouver. Finally he settled in Madrid, where he has continued a fruitful career that has allowed him to open for such great artists as BB King, John Mayall, Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Copeland and Lou Reed among others. With several albums under his belt, Smiling Jack Smith now presents his most recent one, recorded with his band, The New Panama Limited, where Smith is on guitar and vocals, David Gwynn on lead guitar, David Herrington on tuba and Quique Villafañe on drums. Twelve own compositions deeply rooted in the styles where Smith feels most comfortable like folk, roots rock, country and, of course, blues. In all songs Smith knows how to catch listeners, thanks to a deep, suggestive, well-pitched voice and his own arrangements, full of an engaging and sometimes hypnotic magic, where all musicians contribute with their good work, together with personal lyrics that tell us about many aspects of the human condition. So, don’t you think that’s enough?… no, who could ask for anything more? VERY GOOD.
Kay Kankowski –
This is an awesome record. I really love it. The songs are brilliant. The lyrics are witty and deep. The tuba player is a genius – what a timing and what a great tone! The guitarist: wow, I like his unique style and his very tasteful tone and the way he’s bending.
What a wonderfully grooving band!
Jack Smith –
Bman’s Blues Report
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Nowhere To Go But Up, from Smiling Jack Smith & The New Panama Limited and it’s an interesting blues rock set. Opening with Another Year Gone, a blues based rocker, Smiling Jack Smith leads the way on guitar and vocal, backed by David Herrington on tuba and Quique Villafane on drums. David Gwynn holds down the lead guitar role with some really nice riffs includig a few pinched harmonics and phrasing that would make Roy Buchanan proud. On easy folk blues, I Been Worryin’ it’s the tuba backing by Herrington that really gets my attention under some of the best vocals on the release by Smith. Very nice. Uptempo rocker, Don’t Pray Me No Prayers When I’m Gone, is a super toe tapper with a country style flavor. Underlying tuba work by Herrington hits the mark. Random Walk Start All Over Again is a cool, nearly spoken word track with a solid bass line (on tuba) and nicely phrased guitar lead by Gwynn. Laid back, Southbound Train, is a cool radio style track with a strong melody, western and slide style guitar work by Gwynn, the the solid bottom by Herrington on tuba, and snappy drum riffs by Villafane. wrapping the release is title track, Nowhere To Go But Up, with its sing along style and country flavoring. An extended guitar solo by Gwynn blends nicely with the acoustic work of Smith, Herrington on tuba and Villafane on drums. Good closer.
Vicente Zumel –
Singer and guitar player Smiling Jack Smith is certainly one of the most active and charismatic musicians on the Madrid scene. He began his career in New York and afterwards he traveled to Vancouver. Finally he settled in Madrid, where he has continued a fruitful career that has allowed him to open for such great artists as BB King, John Mayall, Bonnie Raitt, Charlie Musselwhite, Johnny Copeland and Lou Reed among others. With several albums under his belt, Smiling Jack Smith now presents his most recent one, recorded with his band, The New Panama Limited, where Smith is on guitar and vocals, David Gwynn on lead guitar, David Herrington on tuba and Quique Villafañe on drums. Twelve own compositions deeply rooted in the styles where Smith feels most comfortable like folk, roots rock, country and, of course, blues. In all songs Smith knows how to catch listeners, thanks to a deep, suggestive, well-pitched voice and his own arrangements, full of an engaging and sometimes hypnotic magic, where all musicians contribute with their good work, together with personal lyrics that tell us about many aspects of the human condition. So, don’t you think that’s enough?… no, who could ask for anything more? VERY GOOD.