Reviewed by: Phil Catley

Published:  24 November 2011

lp: self titled

The Black Diamond Roots Band hails from the Iron Triangle region of South Australia and proudly proclaim themselves as "real live musicians from the great Southern State of Australia" on the rather rustic CD cover. The band is soaked in roots, blues, boogie and country music, blending growling male and lilting female vocals to deliver a collection of eclectic songs that will be of interest to listeners who enjoy this genre. Like me.

Recorded at Sody Pop studios and mastered at Disk-Edits, this CD could just as easily have been recorded off the mixing desk during a live performance at a working class pub in Whyalla. The overall sound of the CD is that of a very tight band playing to a lively and responsive audience, but without the added noise. The recording is excellent and the songs are well written and performed.

The band is nearly a family affair, with John Jagt on guitar and vocals, Julie Marie Jagt on vocals, and Alana Jagt on guitar and vocals. Friends Wayne O'Malley on guitar, Robert Ziegler on bass, and Mark Meyer on drums complete the band, with Brendan Williams joining the band for harmonica duties. There is a keyboard in the mix too, but I'm not sure who the musician is.

John and Julie share the song writing duties, and do a mighty fine job of constructing interesting tales from a down-to-earth, character-driven region of this vast land.

With 16 songs and the lyrics included in the CD cover, this is a good value release evoking touches of the growling Tom Waits, the swagger of The Cruel Sea, the guitar interplay of the Stones, the storytelling of Dylan... This release spits forth that which is born of the earth, forged in fire and sweat, and shouted from the corners of rooms where bourgeois urbanites and DJs dare not tread. These sixteen vignettes explore life and the authentic characters that inhabit the parts more grim.

Half of the songs were written by Julie, and most of these have female vocals (I will assume it's Julie), delivering a female perspective to life in the Triangle. The exceptions are the opening track 'Satisfied', and 'The Way it Is', both of which share vocal duties between John and Julie.

The six songs with female vocals tend to be a touch more mellow and make greater use of acoustic guitar in the mix. They include the bluesy ballad 'Burn', 'Gulf of Mexico' with its slide guitar, and 'Dry Ground', which is the story of English immigrants (relatives) arriving in Perth.

John Jagt contributes six songs and takes vocal duties on all of them. His gravelly, growling, bluesy style is reminiscent of Tom Waits, but not to the point of imitation. It works perfectly with the stories, characters, and tunes served up by the Black Diamond Roots Band. The appropriately named 'Boilermakers Song' tells the story of a foundry in Whyalla, complete with a collection of characters plucked from Bukowski verse or a Fante novel. 'The Napperby Song' is a rolling blues tune about a small place outside Port Pirie, and 'Beyond Blues', 'Greenfingers', and 'Roger' also deliver up more fine prose set against a growling blues background.

In a nod to the influence of Tom Waits, Black Diamond Roots Band performs one of his songs, 'Walkaway', which is sung by Julie rather than John. The female vocals work, and the song slots in with the original material such that it sounds like it could have been written by BDB. Rounding out the album is 'Brother', a slow bluesy ballad sung by Julie and written by K Steele.

Overall, this is a no-nonsense collection of gritty blues and compelling stories driven by authentic characters and experiences. A great release by the Black Diamond Roots Band.

[Editor's note:  A clarification from the band - Alana sings the 2 cover songs not Julie]