Industry Rule Jonah Smith 2001   Buy it online Reviewed by Steve Nathan	A few months ago I asked musicians and record label representatives to participate in an article that I am writing about publicity and what it takes for a musician to get signed to a recording contract -- that article is forthcoming. One of the people that responded was Jonah Smith. I remember receiving Smith's press kit in the mail, placing the disc in my CD player while I read through press clippings and a biography. As I listened to Smith's CD, I started to hear lyrics that were so intelligent and composition that was so intricate and professional that I knew I needed to focus my attention on the music, not the press material, in order to fully appreciate what I was hearing. I immersed myself in the music; occasionally reading the liner notes (yes, they do contain the lyrics for you to read: something I always appreciate). After many more times listening to the CD, and after seeing Jonah Smith perform live, I have reached two conclusions. First, Jonah Smith will be very successful, and whichever label he signs with should expect a good return on its investment. Second, if you are looking for a gift for yourself or for someone else, and are open to indie musicians, buy Smith's CD while it is available. You will not be disappointed. The Jonah Smith Band is comprised of five players, with Ben Rubin on bass, percussionist Marko Djordjeric, Bob Reynolds on sax and flute and David Soles on guitar. But the band's moniker has reason: anchor and frontman Jonah Smith is a lifetime musician with a knack for intelligent lyrics and a passion for getting outfits off the ground. Smith had some success with Deluxe, a group he put together in Boston that scored mounds of local admiration in a very short period. In 2000, Smith put together the current lineup of The Jonah Smith Band in New York. He's had little reason to look back. Two European tours along with extensive North American dates and a strong Internet presence have brought the band a growing following. Industry Rule has been well received and the Smith-penned and Jonah Smith Band-performed "Seems Like Yesterday" has been included on a tribute CD to The Great Stupa of Dharmakaya, a Buddhist monument in Colorado. The CD is due for a March 2002 release. Also included on that album are cuts by Sting, Leonard Cohen and Willie Nelson. Here is what intrigues me about Jonah Smith: When I began seriously listening to music, I listened mostly to rock. Many of the groups that I listened to were exploring sounds outside of the traditional "rock" sound. Consider King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd and Steely Dan (to name but a few) and you see the broad range of sounds that coexisted with Aerosmith, Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers. This varied group of musicians nonetheless contained enough similar elements that people like me did not feel that we were listening to different genres of music. We were, instead, drawn toward the various interpretations and the boundary testing of these musicians within the rock genre. Jonah Smith's music follows in the tradition of exploring the interplay at the boundaries of different genres of music -- such as funk and r&b -- while still appealing to rock sensibilities. I think of Smith's sound as a cross between Steely Dan and Boz Scaggs, each of whom is capable of taking personal and universal truths that we could relate to and lyrically combining them with instrumental overlays that are catchy without being cliché. Many of the tracks on Industry Rule seem biographical and are easy to relate to. On the title track, Smith sings about the times people doubted him: people wondering how I'm gonna deal with the pressure people wondering how I'm gonna try to survive in the city Smith ignores the doubters and continues playing his music only to receive a letter from a former lover (which he is surprised even found him) asking how he is doing and if he is still playing music. Smith's response in "Open Letter to an Old Lover" allows Smith to express his own doubts and his desires for comforts past on the road toward life as a professional musician: open your eyes you decide how am I well, I'm living like a pauper and I'm working like a dog with a burning wick for temper and nothing to call my own Industry Rule is a special listening experience: An intelligent blend of lyrical wit and wisdom served over a soul/funk/rock backing. | March 2002 Steve Nathan is a freelance writer covering the music scene in various cities. Currently on assignment in Hawaii, Steve has written about bands from coast to coast. (c) 2002 Steve Nathan, licensed for use by Blue Coupe magazine.	Tracks 1: Aging Dog Shuns Love For Something Real 2: Industry Rule 3: Last Refrain 4: Tone (Intro) 5: Tone Of Your Voice 6: skyscraper Blues 7: Juan's Cue 8: Billy & The Sandman 9: Open Letter To An Old Lover 10: Seven & Seven (Some More) 11: Graceful Pose 12: Damage Control 13: Calling Your Name