The bright, clear tone of Jonny T-Bird’s electric guitar distinguishes the Milwaukee bluesman’s sophomore album, True Story. The sound he gets from his ax befits his largely fun approach to the genre. When our bandleader sings proudly of his Milwaukee birth or talks up women who may or may not give him the time of day, it sounds at least as much like celebration as it does catharsis. As subject matter moves between darkness and light, though, he’s apt to throw in a bit of processed vocals (recalling Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s use of similar effects), a variation of Bo Didley’s signature beat or, in a nearly random move, a roomful of school children. Organ and harmonica supplement the band’s guitar/bass/drum basics, and the combination reflects successful attempts to modernize classic post-World War II Chicago stylings.
