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Jook Joint Thunderclap

by John-Alex Mason

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $5 USD  or more

     

  • Poster/Print + Digital Album

    Incredible 18" x 26" limited edition screen print by Jook Joint Thunderclap poster artist Gary Houston. Lists release show dates from the Mid-south and Colorado run. Each color of each print was hand pulled by Gary. All posters numbered and signed by both Gary and John-Alex.

    And just because I want to make sure you have it purchase also includes immediate download of 12-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire.
    edition of 125 
    Purchasable with gift card

      $25 USD

     

  • 180-gram vinyl record with 4 panel Gatefold jacket featuring the amazing artwork of Gary Houston. Includes the CD and a cool little gift you can sew on your motorcycle jacket.

    Also includes immediate download of 12-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire.
    ships out within 2 days
    edition of 500 
    Purchasable with gift card

      $25 USD

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Digipak of the album delivered to your hands well before the official street date of 2/15/11. Features rad artwork by Portland's Gary Houston and a lyric poster, plus a free little goodie.

    Also includes immediate download of 12-track album in your choice of 320k mp3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire.
    ships out within 2 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD

     

1.
Ragtop down, tunes up loud Brand new tires, full tank, make me proud Hot southern night, best girl I know Wide open road, and can't go slow Oh I know, we had four wheels off the ground I wish I was back down there I wish I was Delta Bound Old T can shake it, and he's good with a knife Red's sure enough grinning, "This game is for life. Someone gonna win, someone gonna lose The secret is, darling, it's all up to you." I was lost and didn't want to be found I wish I was back down there I wish I was Delta Bound Have you ever felt the light come up through the edge of a Delta Night? I was lost and but now I’m found Yes, I’m going back down there, heart and soul I am Delta Bound Boogie Church Commencing, cut on the fans Full moon shining and his name's Wolfman. Thunder on the drums, but you ought to see him dance Lightnin's in the front row, and the girl with the Army pants Oh I know, That’s where I found the sound I wish I was back down there You know I am Delta Bound I was lost, didn’t want to be found I wish I was back down there I wish I was Delta Bound
2.
Spread Wide Spread Long Spread Out like those Rocky Mountains My Old Lonesome Home Come on make me grin Come on make me moan Spread Out like those Rocky Mountains My Old Lonesome Home Lookers oh, lookers I am passing over Lookers oh, lookers I am sliding off the shoulder No matter where my Mama’s gone My Old Lonesome home Spread Wide Spread Long Spread Out like those Rocky Mountains My Old Lonesome Home Come on make me grin Come on make me moan Spread Out like those Rocky Mountains My Old Lonesome Home World oh, World I am getting brave and bolder World oh, World we are all getting older No matter where my Papa’s gone My Old Lonesome Home
3.
do you think its been so long well has it really been so long well has it really been so long since youve been gone do you think its been so long well has it really been so long well has it really been so long since youve been gone like wind round right behind me its there but it cant find me this feeling i dont mind it now has it really been so bad well and everything we had well and everything we had well its all gone gone gone you been gone so long well has it really been so long well has it really been so long since youve been gone gone gone like wind round right behind me its there but it cant find me this feeling i dont mind it now
4.
Reason, rationed. Packed and gone away. Reason, rationed. Packed and run away. Reason gone - left is live today. Love don't linger - well up cool and fresh. Love don't linger - well up cool and fresh. East sky bright - stars shine way back west. Ladder Loosen - lay there on the ground. Ladder Loosen - lay there on the ground. No way up - no way further down. Strain and Struggle - held up by the weir. Strain and Struggle - held up by the weir. Listen close - more than words to hear. listen close - more than wind to hear.
5.
Lightning ripped the night and dropped it on the ground the rain was falling up so couldn't make a sound winter set in hard that early August eve my mind was frozen still refusing to believe I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on What's Gone is gone Coyote broke the hush and folly galloped past the roaring rain came back again with another lightning flash Folly reared her head and reaper stepped on back I grabbed the pony's mane and found the golden track I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on What's Gone is gone I’m on the Golden Track because I keep on going I’m looking at the people the people never ever be knowing I’m really riding hard Can’t even look back The past is gone because I’m thinking what’s that is that Because I’m going straight forward I’m Going to the Future I’m Looking at you now you know I’ve got to keep it mutual I’ve got to keep it going, Gotta keep a stiff upper, Looking dead up in your face and now you know I be coming. I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on What's Gone is gone Saw you standing there Naked in the rain Truth beheld, Fear expelled comfort in your flame spirits flashed up strong reflecting in your grin made me moan, made me laugh made me smile again I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on I'm ridin' on What's Gone is gone
6.
7.
Diamond Rain 04:15
Truth comes and like water goes into lives like wind it blows finding cracks to fill in part mending those with breaking hearts And the Rains The rains have come again Truth comes and like water flows over rocks to sands below touching all in birth and death moving on with every breath And the Rains The rains have come again Dunk me drench me open up and quench me wash away the stubborn stains Soak me, flood me turn around and mud me walk me out in the diamond rain Truth Falls and like rain it yields not one thing 'til all's revealed and dammed the river only swells swallows all in living hell And the Rains The rains have come again Truth falls and like rain it wields the dust out to the growing fields spreading life from all that dies growing hope in desperate lives And the Rains The rains have come again
8.
9.
Free 04:07
Red Sun Been Rising Keep it burning on my right hand side Amblin Been Ramblin And gambling with the whole world wide I am gonna fly because I am free I am gonna fly see what I can see I am gonna fly because I am free I am gonna fly see what's left of me The weapers and reapers aren't keepers they're holding on too tight I believe it will relieve it I'm gonna heave it up into the night I am gonna fly because I am free I am gonna fly see what I can see I am gonna fly because I am free I am gonna fly see what's left of me I went to the mountain top and I could barely breath I walked through the red desert until I burned my feet And kept on walking to soak them in the sea then caught the wailing winds and swore they'd be the death of me The white sun now shining keep it burning turning, way up high Gonna Stand up gonna rise up gonna own up brother and take my time I am gonna fly because I am free I am gonna fly see what I can see I am gonna fly because I am free I am gonna fly see what's left of me We're gonna fly because we're free Gonna fly see what we can be We're gonna fly because we're free Gonna fly to the shining
10.
11.
Whisper 03:39
When you find me on the way to the park on the corner at the edge of the dark I will stand up and dance through the memory of you When you see me my arms are open wide in the morning with the good girl by my side I will stand up and dance through the memory of you Dancing on the inside Feeling opened wide take me from the start whisper the way to my heart When you wake me alone we come to this in the midnight that’s as gentle as your kiss I will stand up and dance through the memories to you Dancing on the inside Feeling opened wide take me from the start whisper the way to my heart
12.

about

So what is the story here? What is this Jook Joint Thunderclap? Jook, an old afro-caribe word meaning to have fun and dance, but like jook that trouble out of yourself. Joint, a place, a thing, something to experience. Both evoking Juke Joint, the most democratic places in America, and there are damn few of them left, where the stage is shared by all in attendance. Everyone is part of the show in other words. And then Thunderclap, lightening and thunder at the same time, so close that the thunder rolls away from you. Scared ya, didn’t it? Like when the August sky went from blue to a bruise and you heard your mama call from the house to come on in, it is going to storm, but you held out just a bit longer to feel the warm moist wind. Then, BAM! Or maybe on the way home from a great show late one full moon, winter solstice night with a pal on the phone talking about how cool it was to be together with those guys on stage. That is all to say, there are moments when lightening strikes. And the world changes. In this case and this time around, I learned that I am not alone. That I don’t have to go it alone. That I am not better off alone. That in the immortal words of the heavy weight champion of the world, me = we. But, what I learned in all those sometimes lonely times on stage is that I can stand on my own. And it wasn’t until I realized that and thereby knew that I didn’t have to prove that all the time, that I was able to embrace and understand that yes, me = we but also that we = me. The trip to the desert was worthwhile, I read some great books, but it was time to come back. What I found out there was tone. But as we so often hear, trees falling in a vacuum... So I started making calls to players who I had a feeling about. Whose tones and music I felt mine would resonate with. We made an album together in a big room, looking each other in the eye and smiling a whole lot. It was fun, like 3-year old at Christmas fun. Yes. Why? Because we were all standing on our own, free to be ourselves, and yet part of something bigger that none of us could have created on our own. The rest of the he-said, she-said is, for the most part, in the songs, but there are stories... plenty of stories! Maybe I’ll get the chance to tell you a few sometime.

credits

released February 15, 2011

Alia Sylla - djembe on four
Andy Irvine - bass on zero, three, four, five, six and seven
Cedric Burnside - drums on zero, two, four, seven and nine
Cody Burnside - vocals on two and four
Fara Tolno - djembe on four, five, six, and eight
Fasinet Bangoura - bolofone on four
Gerry Hundt - harmonica on zero, one, four, five and eleven, mandolin on three, seven and nine, nine-string guitar on two
John-Alex Mason - vocals on all, moans on five, guitar on zero, two, three, four, five, six, eight, ten, eleven, purgatory hill harp five on one, seven, and nine, one-man band rig on one, three, five, six, eight and eleven
Lightnin’ Malcolm - guitar on zero, four, seven and nine, bass on two
Lionel Young - fiddle on two, three, four, five, six, and eleven, bass on nine

Produced by John-Alex Mason
Mixed and Engineered by Mike Yach and assistant Tyler Bender at Immersive Studios, Boulder, CO
Mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering, Boulder, CO
Creative Direction by Rosanne Mason, Pamela Martinez and Gerry Hundt
Art Direction, Illustration and Design by Gary Houston at Voodoo Catbox, Portland, OR
Photographs by Annalise Moyer and Pamela Martinez

© MMXI Naked Jaybird Music (SESAC) Lyrics reprinted with permission

All songs written by John-Alex Mason, published by Naked Jaybird Music (SESAC) except where noted:

“My Old Lonesome Home”
Lyrics by Rosanne Mason
Music by John-Alex Mason

“Gone So Long (feat. Cody Burnside)”
Lyrics by Rosanne Mason and Cody Burnside
Music by John-Alex Mason

“Riding On (feat. Cody Burnside)”
Lyrics by John-Alex Mason and Cody Burnside
Music by John-Alex Mason

“Rolled and Tumbled”
Public Domain Arranged by John-Alex Mason
Additional Lyrics by John-Alex Mason

“Signifying Monkey”
Written by Oscar Brown JR
Published by Bootblack Music

“Write Me a Few of Your Lines”
Written by Fred McDowell
Published by Bug Music (BMI)

“If You’ve Got a Good Friend”
Written by Robert Johnson
Published by King of Spades Music (BMI)

Zero and eleven can be found in the ether at johnalexmason.com

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