Music
Press
JERRY LEE SURBER - HEY---GUITAR
by Chuck Dauphin
With a name like Jerry Lee, you would have to figure that you would be in for a dose of Southern music mixed with a little bit of blues...and that's what you get on this disc. Surber, and native of Shamrock, TX...assembled quite an interesting collection with this disc.
First of all, the instrumentation is nothing less that first-rate all the way through. Whether it's Surber,
Chip Martin (the producer), Brian Pruitt, or Jason Roller, there's some awfully nice picking all the way throughout.
Vocally, to suggest that Surber's vocals are pristine would be stretching things a little. His voice is one that has been lived in, a trait that is very apparent on tracks like "Hard Luck," and "Every Town," which is an ode to small town life.
He's better on the uptempo cuts, such as "Educated Redneck," which benefits from some strong dobro playing from Martin.
Surber's vocal approach brings to mind someone like Chris Ledoux, who had a style all his own. Is it Country? Well, that could be debated. Is it blues? That could be debated, as well. Is it entertaining? That, I can tell you most assuredly, it is!!!
- (C)2007 MNN ENTERPRISES, LLC
Jerry Lee Surber holds his head up high as he sings his heart out on his latest release, HEY---GUITAR. The singer/songwriter has a lot to share with the world after a near death experience, which left him in a coma for five weeks in January and February 2000. He found his way back, fully recovered and is stronger than ever as indicated by his latest compilation of Texas storied songs, which are dripping with sweat and tears.
The album begins with the raucous, "Educated Redneck," a nod to Surber's ever-present sense-of-humor. What follows is a palette of different sounds and emotions...from the ironically upbeat "Please Let Go Of My Heart"
to the radio-friendly "Don't Have To Love Me Back," the soulful, harmonica-heavy "Down In Mexico," the fiery, wide-rangiing "Showdown (at the Lonestar Saloon)" and the cheerful ode to his only daughter Shawn-Michelle entitled "Mornin' Light".
Surber made his bones in the band TEXAS during the 70's-80's and has proved he can stand on his own as a songwriter. There's a message behind his music and it's time the rest of the world heard it!!! - Will Jordan
Discography
2006 HEY---GUITAR CD with 16 'surbersongs'
All original and rockin'!!!! With my new
producer Chip Martin at the helm....we
tear it up pretty good.
2007 WRANGLER CD with 16 more 'surbersongs'
that you can tap your feet to. We pushed
the envelope quite a bit further on this.....
my second solo CD.
All songs are SURBER-MARTIN PRODUCTIONS
recorded at CHIP MARTIN'S studio in Nashville
Tennessee.
P.S. In 1981 my band TEXAS and I released our first two singles on a 45 rpm record. The songs were entitled "TEXAS AGAIN" and "SOUTHERN LIVIN'" and they did very well...allowing us to play as the headliners at The Palomino Club in Hollywood California and to eventually be selected to participate in the Seagrams 7 International Battle of the Bands Contest in Nashville Tennessee where we played at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and recorded two of our songs in Nashville...including one commercial for Seagram's 7...which was one of the requirements of the contest. When we returned to southern California the band broke up.....which is what most bands do...but I continued to write songs. Some of the songs on HEY---GUITAR and WRANGLER are ones that we played in our band called TEXAS. My NEIGHBORHOOD CD was released in March 2009 and contains 16 more original songs. I continue to write new songs almost every day and I'm so very grateful to everyone for all your kind and thoughtful comments about my songs. I promise to keep 'em coming 'til they throw dirt over me. Just thought y'all would like to know.
Jerry Lee Surber
www.thejerduderocks.com
Photos
Bio
All musical influences dating back to the 50's and continuing to 2009. All songs are totally original and we call them "ORIGINAL SOUTHERN MUSIC" for a reason!!!
I'm a veteran singer/songwriter/guitarist and I'm very grateful to be able to share my songs with the Universe. I appreciate everyone listening to and liking our songs. We'll keep 'em coming!!! Check out more of my songs at www.thejerduderocks.com where you can hear all 48 of my songs from my HEY---GUITAR, WRANGLER and NEIGHBORHOOD CD's. Thanks for listening!!!
Links
