Artist Detailed Info: Dobrojean

DOBROJEAN

Album: 'bout time"

VIA Blues (1999, 9921032)

Songs
1. Sting Jive
2. Once Upon A Time
3. Nobody Knows (why it just grows)
4. Big & Open World
5. Let It Go
6. It Couldn't Be
7. Oh My Oh My
8. Ladybird Calling
9. As Long As I Get Mine
10. Sleep Around Hang Around
11. Hear My Train Pounding
12. 'bout Time I'd Let You Know
13. All Pain & No Gain
14. Better Than Before
15. Terraplane Blues

All music written, performed and arranged by Jan Oelbrandt (except track 15 by Robert Johnson)
Produced by Jan Oelbrandt & Ralph Samantha

Additional musicians :
- Patrick Riguelle (bluesharp, lapsteel on 2,6)
- Wigbert Van Lierde (acoustic guitar and backing vocal on 7)
- Pascale Michiels (2nd vocal on 10)
- Roland Van Campenhout (acoustic guitar and backing vocal on 14)

Recorded at The Crossroads (Vrasene, Belgium)

Photo's & Design : Jo Clauwaert for Creation & Devotion.
Photo below : Kurt Van Strijthem. All rights reserved. Tel : 02/582.12.45

My opinion:

A man and a guitar (a shiny one), sometimes a harp, a 2nd voice or an old blueshero backing him up .. 15 songs. What more is there to say ?? For instance that this cd has the atmosphere of the Deep South (of the States that is). Dusty plains, dusty country roads, dusty pick-ups and dusty singers with a guitar - a shiny one - all around.

For instance that 14 of the 15 songs are original compositions, and that I was wondering all the time if they were no covers. For instance that you could compare his music to the works of Chris Whitley (from the period of "Living with the law"), Daniel Lanois or Ry Cooder, but that these comparisons would be a bit too much for DobroJean.

For instance that the singing is not bàd at all, but that it's still weak part of the product DobroJean : to young, too white, to clean ?? For instance that the songs "Sting Jive", "Nobody Knows", "Big & Open World", "All Pain & No Gain", "As Long As I Get Mine" and especially "Better than before" are the ones that left the best impression. For instance that there are probably a lot of folks strumming their guitar on a front porch in New Orleans with about as much talent as DobroJean, but that they will never get a record deal in the States. And that the world is unjust.

Or, why not : that 'bout time didn't convince me at first, but that this first impression is turning around after a number of spins.

Source: The Belgian Pop & Rock Archives Dobrojean - 'bout time

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