Ever since the Sheepdogs started making ’70s rock and roll cool again, with their neo-’70s style of riff rock, a lot of musicians have been following suit. Toronto bluesman Jake Chisholm is one of them on his new CD “Diamond in A Coal Mine.” And that’s all right by me.
His new CD “Diamond In A Coal Mine” is nine slabs of beautiful, beefy, groovy southern fried riff rock, slide guitar and bluesy vocals, which the likes of Led Zeppelin made famous.
Everything about it is big — big riffs, big voice and a big groove.
He combines big riffs 
on with a big soulful voice on the first track “I’m Gonna Let You Be.” He adds a touch of Black Sabbath to menacing yet subtle slide guitar and his massive voice on “Let’s Do It Again.”
A hot, rocking cover of “Traveling Riverside Blues” makes the blues classic his own. There is still a lot of spooky slide, but amplified. The sinister slide guitar comes right out of the Delta, while Chisholm’s voice comes right out of world of Jimi Hendrix as does some of his rhythm playing like on “Don’t Take It So Hard.”
“That’s All They Could See reflects Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady.”
“Blood Red Sun” wouldn’t be out of place on an old Foghat or Edgar Winter Group album.
He slows things down on the tender title track “Diamond in A Coal Mine.”
He also revamps Young Rascals ’60s song “You’d Better Run.”
The CD ends on another slower, Hendrixy note, “When Love Goes Wrong,” which is reminiscent of Hendrix’s ”Hey Joe.”
“Diamond in a Coal Mine” is definitely a rock solid effort, which shines, shines, shines.
Artist: Jake Chisholm
CD: Diamond in a Coal Mine
Genre: blues/rock
