’John Doe’ is traditionally used as a name for an anonymous or unidentified dead person. Fortunately, neither of these attributes applies to the charismatic leader of this powerhouse trio: the guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist Phil Woollett. The John Doe Trio was formed in 2013 as the brainchild of freelance musician, instrumental tutor, and author Phil, who initially wanted a project as a hobby in addition to his professional musical endeavours.
The band quickly gained popularity and engaged with the wider blues community around the UK, playing at clubs and festivals all over the country. On the back of this success, the band decided to record and release a debut album, Stranger in 2016. The trio’s sophomore recording three years later was Railroaded which Blues In Britain described as a “hard-riffing, blues-rocking, blockbuster of an album from a powerful band of exceptional musicians. The sublime instrumental ‘Pickin’ My Chicken’ with its authentic chicken sounds is pure poultry in motion!”
This third album, JD lll (JD Three) releases on February 6 with a lineup including drummer Paul Townsend and Phil’s son Ben on bass.
Phil’s story, as he recounts here, is one of troubled times but the blues has clearly helped him on his way. This is why according to John Lee Hooker, “The blues will always be here.”
Like so many others, life as a professional blues musician is certainly different since Covid visited our little world. From a personal perspective it wiped out the entire tour for the album, Railroaded, and, whilst all but one promoter subsequently honored the postponed gigs, it was all very haphazard with so many bands also vying for work.
Phil Woollett
In many ways, I don’t think the band has ever recovered and it took a terrible toll on my personal mental health; I’ve struggled for many years, especially after the loss of my son a few years back, and this period took me lower than I’d been in many years. In ways a band like the John Doe Trio (JDT) exists in a bit of a limbo world. We’ve never made it big enough to rely solely on the band to make a living but, unlike some bands with “normal” day jobs, we all were still earning our living from music. It came to head one day and, in my frustration, I pulled the plug on the band completely — actually splitting up.
Fortunately, I eventually talked around and decided that if JDT was to remain, then we may as well go the whole way and record a new album. This is how JDIII was born. I guess it’s a reflection of both persistence and hope. I wrote the songs partly from personal experience and partly to reflect the world as it now is: some serious, some more light-hearted. I guess this is probably our spot in the last-chance saloon, so hopefully things will end up better this time.
“Prologue: Resurgence” is a haunting atmospheric introduction comprising special guitar effects leading to the upbeat “First King of Texas,” a showcase for the band’s tremendous sense of rhythm, harmony and Phil’s powerful and passionate vocal delivery underpinned by searing guitar licks. As Phil explains: “This is an homage to one of my blues heroes, Stevie Ray Vaughan. The opening riff is meant to be loosely reminiscent of his great instrumental ‘Scuttle Buttin.’ And the lyrics chart his life from birth, through fame and troubles, to his untimely death at just 35 in a helicopter crash. It’s very much the feature track of the album and I hope it’s a fitting tribute to the great man.”
On the fast moving “Whose Blues,” Phil proves he is the consummate storyteller, the rhythm section in perfect synchronization throughout some complex changes of pace. “This is a traditional ‘the blues is no respecter of wealth, power etc.’ track. I wrote the main bulk of the song and then, because of the title, added The Who-inspired intro, middle and ending.”
The pace slows and the intensity rises on “Big Bad Ron,” Phil demonstrating considerable prowess on his cigar box and accompanying evocative vocals. “There couldn’t be a JDT album without my homemade cigar box banjo featuring, and this is it. Ron, from the title, represents coRONa virus – and I think the lyrics speak for themselves.”
One of the many highlights, the balladic “Tears in The Wind” is a tour de force of a slow burner which oozes sincerity and honesty. The pulsating bass line and percussion dynamics enhance the impact on the listener. “This is a highly emotive track, describing the desperation of those suffering from the real blues – life-changing mental health problems.”
The jaunty “Blues1.0.1.” changes the mood completely and highlights the band’s versatility and wide appeal. “A slightly more light-hearted take on the blues, following the troubles of a poor, down-on-his-luck guy whose answer to his blues is often to crack another beer and grab his guitar…I wonder who that could really be!”
Phil retains an optimistic perspective despite his depressive interludes on “Black Dog Calling,” the outpouring of emotions clearly a cathartic process. “A very personal insight into my own battles with mental illness and loss but certainly not a slow, sad number which, I guess, reflects my stubbornness in not giving in to everything.”
The blues don’t run any deeper than these most traumatic circumstances, so it is amazing how the trio can retain such composure on “Little J” which doesn’t need lyrics to express the full range of emotions. “This is a deeply personal and emotive celebration of the tragically short life of my ‘Little J,’ my late son Joel. It’s an instrumental reflecting the beauty of life but obviously tinged with sadness and anger.”
A life lived to the full is the buoyant theme of “Never Again” with its technically adept drum interludes a stand out feature. “A light-hearted, semi-biographical account of my younger years: essentially one drink-fuelled calamity after another!”
“Little Miss Everything” represents a change of musical direction bordering on pop rock but still distinctively JDT in terms of its reflections on life and love, just from another angle. “This was written many years ago and pushes the genre boundaries away from blues, as JDT enjoys doing from time to time. It’s essentially about being swept off your feet, head-over-heels in love whether you are ready or not.”
Another pleasant surprise in this multi-faceted album is the melodious and beautifully arranged “Laugh or Cry.”
“Again, I am pushing the stylistic boundaries here, combining strong elements of bluegrass and country; a great excuse to dust the Telecaster off!’
The funky, jazz-infused “Tales of the Modern Day Curse” is a fitting, light-hearted finale to a superb album which reflects both the heartaches and the high points in the life of Phil Woollett: an immensely talented troubadour, bandleader, musician, and teacher. The achievements of this inspirational trio also act as a reminder that grass roots blues is alive and well, flourishing in local communities and keeping the genre relevant for future generations. JD lll has the potential to propel the band to the next level of national recognition.
CD available 8th February from the website and on all major streaming sites or to download.
Credits:
- All songs are original and written by Phil Woollett, copyright 2024.
- Recorded, engineered and mastered by Lenny Bunn at Lenny’s Studio, Kent, England
- Co-producers are Phil Woollett and Lenny Bunn
