Jack Tempchin might not be a household name for some, but most will know his songs, songs which have made it into the world via artists such as George Jones, Johnny Rivers, Emmylou Harris, Glen Campbell, Tom Rush and most notably The Eagles and Glen Frey as a solo artist. He is also a Songwriter Hall of Fame inductee, having joined that illustrious group alongside Cat Stevens and Tom T. Hall.
The reason I mention this, the reason that I have started this review dropping the names of the great and good as frequently as parts drop off a Volkswagen, is to underline the fact that Jack is not just another jobbing troubadour. This guy not only knows what he is doing, he does it for the best players around.
But just one spin of his latest single, “Waiting,” and you will come to exactly the same conclusion: the proof of the pudding, they say, is in the eating. Similarly, the proof of Jack’s talents is in the music, and “Waiting” is a sumptuous and satisfying sonic feast indeed.
Although he is often found blending ornate folky strands or country licks through his music, here, he unleashes a no-holds-barred, groovesome rock and roll salvo on his, perhaps unsuspecting, audience. It is rock and roll of the old school, poised and polished perfectly for the contemporary crowd. It is a blend of the familiar and the fresh, a nod to past traditions and a glimpse of the genre’s future.
Guitars grind, beats provide relentless energy, and Hammond organs ebb and flow, smoothing edges and adding soulful seductions. And all through it, you can feel Jack’s lyrical frustration.
He may be tired of waiting, but I can’t get enough of it!
