Apples and oranges, Kevin, I mean Tom. Just 'cause JD doesn't cater to the "beer and bong" crowd (even though his audience is into both) doesn't mean he can't sing and shred Fowler under the rug. What makes JD so much better, is he inserts a shot of Jim Beam in between the beer and the bong!! Like I said before, go see JD at a real venue, not some line dancin', strip center, poor excuse for a honky tonk.

Hey JD, I mean Charles. I saw Fowler play on New Year's Eve. Fowler put more people in that club than JD probably puts in 10 shows. JD keep doing what you do and no one will buy your crap.

Tom must have seen JD at the wHoresman Club in cow town. Strip center, line dancin', poor excuse for a country bar. I was there and talked to Jesse. He commented that he was treated like the janitor by the staff there, and the crowd was more interested in hearing Toby Keith covers than Jesse's music. Jesse's got more class than that entire crowd combined. Tom, do yourself a favor and catch Jesse at a real joint like the Continental Club or Gruene Hall. Country Soul Brother is the best real country record out right now. JD is not afraid to combine blues and r&b with country, you know, like Ray Price, Charlie Rich, Conway Twitty, etc... Everyone out there that is ready for a fresh slant on "Texas Music", well, first buy Willie's new one, THEN buy Country Soul Brother.

I went to see Jesse, I thought his music was o.k., but he had no class on stage.

I’ve just received Jesse Dayton’s latest album, Country Soul Brother and Late Johnny and Waylon would be proud to hear that someone has so brilliantly taken over. CSB is certainly Jesse’s most accomplished album and I am pretty sure Jesse ‘telecaster’ Dayton has a lot more in store.

Jesse Dayton. This dude was playing his own brand of Texas music before it became fashionable again. If you haven't seen him in concert, you are seriously missing out. Great shows, everytime. Everytime I see him, it always seems better than the last. Nuff said about that. As far as the albums go, maybe I'm a tad biased, but everything he's done is top notch. No weak songs on any of his albums. Raisin' Cane is still something I listen to today. A little honky tonk, a little blues, rockabilly, some tejano, you get the picture. Made me a believer. Tall Texas Tales is another great effort. A little more eclectic and homespun, but that's what's cool about it. Hey NashVegas! is the more polished pure country of the three. Great honky tonk stuff mixed with more great Jesse stuff you just can't quite put a label on. All three are must buys if you ask me. If you like rockabilly, try any Road Kings you can get your hands on, it's all good too. Here's hoping Jesse toes the line and keeps up the good work. Meanwhile, go see him live, you'll become a believer as well. Listen for "higher than a hippie on a helicopter ride".

i'm not going to say as much as the other guys have said here, because i can sum it up in one sentence: Jesse Dayton is the best i've ever heard or seen. he is an amazing guitar player, and as my dad likes to put it, "he kicks some righteous butt". so all of you, buy "raisin' cain", and i swear you won't regret it. love, beka

Generally, when an artist releases a follow-up album some five years after his breakthrough solo project it is called a “comeback” album. However, with TALL TEXAS TALES, to be released October 24th, the strange thing is Jesse Dayton never went away. In 1995, after years as front man for quality bands such as the Road Kings (Houston) and the Alamo Jets (Austin), Dayton released RAISIN’ CAIN on Houston’s Justice Records. The album was an exceptional work that walked a line through the Road King’s rock-a-billy past, the Jets’ borderline swing,and genuine country. Most labeled the release as “alternative country” but those who have followed Dayton for some time knew it was more an interpretation of Gulf Coast music he grew up with in Beaumont, where a trip down the A.M. dial still produces a wonderful mix of sounds and styles. If anything, RAISIN’ CAIN was a tribute to these influences and at the same time it was uniquely Jesse, providing soulful turns (Time to Go, Blood Bucket Blues), a Latin twist (Carmelita), and plenty of roots rock (Kissing Abilene Goodbye, Train of Dreams, etc.). Deservedly, RAISIN’ CAIN was critically acclaimed and received decent play around the State. Needless to say, the follow up album was anxiously awaited. So what happened? Well what happened is Dayton acted like a true musician and continued to write and perform. In 1997 he had a new solo album ready for release, tentatively titled HEY NASHVEGAS. As one who has heard many of the songs live along with a bootleg of the actual disc, I can tell you the album exceeded expectations. Along with the title track’s rocking disparagement of the Nashville music machine, the album demonstrated Dayton’s continued growth as a songwriter and chronicled the difficulty of living one’s life on the road - “I don’t mind you dancing with a stranger tonight, as long as you pretend that it’s me.” Unfortunately, the album has never been released. Somewhere in this period of time, Justice Records apparently went defunct and left its only legitimate star in the lurch. If there is any justice in the industry, this album will someday see the light of day. With the effort of creating an album wasted, one could understand Dayton walking away from the whole scene. He didn’t. Jesse simply traded hats and returned to his starting place, the Road Kings. The band had never really gone away as Dayton frequently brought out the alter-ego, rock-a-billy act in Houston clubs. Indeed, the band released a live album recorded largely at the Satellite Lounge around the same time as the shelved Justice Records recording. After Justice Records dropped the ball, Dayton moved the Road Kings back to center stage. In short order, Jesse took bassist Jason Burns and drummer Ritchie Vasquez into the studio and released a self-titled album on California’s Surf Dog Records. The album was yet another success. Critics across the country praised the work and soon tunes from the album were making their way to the big screen, namely Hurdy Gurdy Monkey Shine appeared in the somewhat successful movie HAPPY TEXAS. In 1999, Eric Tucker, Dayton’s lifelong friend and the original drummer of the Road Kings, joined Dayton and Burns on a blistering tour across the country, into Europe, and ending with a raucous gig in Irvine, California on June 30, 2000. That show, on the side stage of a festival featuring several acts, drew a crowd worthy of the main stage and kept them there while the main act, a reunion of John Doe and the Knitters, wondered what all the fuss was about. However, the band was obviously road weary as was demonstrated by Burns pushing his doghouse bass into the crowd after it shorted out. The tour ended, the band took a break from each other, and Dayton once again was left to plot his next course. The result is TALL TEXAS TALES, the long-awaited follow-up to RAISIN’ CAIN. TALL TEXAS TALES, recorded for Bullet Records at Ernie Wells Studio in Houston, is yet another progression for the singing, skinny kid from Beaumont. Although the album is a step forward, familiar faces appear on the credits, namely the welcome return of Brian Thomas’s pedal steel and Charlie Sanders back-up vocals and bass, essentials in Dayton’s previous solo work. More notable is the transition of Eric Tucker from the Road Kings to drummer on the new album. Apparently, Tucker is resigned to leave studio work behind and permanently join his friend. It’s a wise move. On TALL TEXAS TALES, Dayton establishes himself as a leading Texas songwriter. With this album, Dayton comes into his own as an artist at ease with his craft. Indeed, after seeing Dayton play at the CD release party at Houston’s Continental Club it appears that he finally has stopped "performing”. No longer is he being the front man for a rock-a-billy band or a liner photo representation of what is supposed to be alternative country. Now he is Jesse Dayton playing his music, call it whatever you want, and playing it strong. Part of this transition is Dayton’s growth as a lyricist. His lyrics at times rambunctious and fun, at times remorseful and sad, are always moving and genuine. With songs such as Jumped Head First, a cathartic revelation about an alcoholic grandfather, the listener gets to know more about Dayton than they may want. With The Creek Between Heaven and Hell, one clearly understands the dilemma between what’s right and what’s fun. And,with Every Now and Then Dayton makes it clear that it’s nice to have someone to tell you its OK to be angry at the world. Dayton throws in a re-worked classic (Lynwood Smith’s Black Jack) for good measure, and lightens the mood with a jab at the thieves who stole his guitar (Harris County Blues) and a handyman’s lesson that duct tape can fix anything from a cracked window to a broken heart (Arkansas Chrome). Even more indicative of Dayton’s progression is the use of his voice as an equal to excellent guitar work. The album allows Dayton to showcase a voice that has often been shadowed by stellar guitar work. The guitar is still there and Dayton is still one of the best, but other instruments, including Dayton’s voice, make for a more complete recording, a damn good recording. It was a long wait, but it was worth it. As for the Road Kings, Dayton and the boys played the Satellite Lounge less than a week before the release party for TALL TEXAS TALES. I guess Jesse is not one for burning his bridges. Considering his experiences over a decade of recording and touring, I don’t blame him.

Where to begin? Well, the best explanation is that this CD is still a fixture in my player FIVE YEARS after it came out. Raisin Cain is a simmering stew of spicy Texas roots styles, with an emphasis on bluesy honky tonk. Impeccable playing and creative songwriting make "Raisin Cain" an album you could listen to everyday for your entire life- it's just that good at capturing those elements of the "human condition" laughing, crying, winning and losing. Dayton cut his teeth with a variety of bands from the rockabilly of the Road Kings to the straight ahead country as guitarist to Pam Tillis and learned to play from an old Texas bluesman. He puts the styles into a blender and comes out with a winner on 12 counts. Standout tracks include the Johnny Gimbel fiddle driven "Gutbucket Blues" and the barroom stomp of "Angel Like You" played with a guitar fury which hasn't been seen on a real country album shy of Shaver's "Tramp on Your Street" or some of Dwight's more rockin' sides. Find it. Buy it. And enjoy the truly original talent that resides within. And hopefully Randall Jamail will find it somewhere in his heart to release that unreleased sequel to this 'un "Hey Nashvegas"