Review: Jane Lee Hooker ‘Rollin’

Jane Lee Hooker

By Martine Ehrenclou

All-female rock and roll band Jane Lee Hooker blasts off with their new studio album, Rollin’, a hot and gritty blues/rock burner with signature twin lead guitars, heavy rhythm section and scorching vocals. Rollin’ will put fuel in your gas tank for a sizzling hot summer.

This New York City outfit serves up a heavy helping of blues in their rock n’ roll and pays respect to the past greats with their feet firmly planted in the present. Written and recorded during the pandemic, frontwoman Dana Athens and the band made the most out of the lockdown by writing music together and focusing on songcraft. Athens states, “Somehow, amidst the chaos of a global pandemic, we were able to write and record what I feel is our best work as a band yet.”

Because of Covid-19, the band were locked out of their Brooklyn rehearsal room where they write and rehearse with amps cranked to maximum volume. Two of the singles were written before 2020 and the rest of the songs on Rollin’ were written on acoustic instruments in Athens’ back yard. Athens adds, “We recorded this record very differently than we have done with our other albums. Beginning with focusing on drums at one studio, then tracking vocals, guitars, and other things at two other locations. This process was very different from our “plug-and-play’ attitude of yore.”

The result is a musically diverse album; part gritty rock & roll and part Soul and R&B, with a dash of acoustic blues played on resonator guitars.

Exploding out of NYC when they formed in 2015, the band won international acclaim with their debut album of jet-fueled blues covers No B! out on Ruf Records. 2017 saw Jane Lee Hooker release the acclaimed Spiritus with all original material.

Produced by Matt Chiaravalle (Joe Bonamassa, Warren Zevon, Courtney Love) Rollin’ boasts nine tracks, many of which yield raw power with enough grit to power a storm. The band is made up of Dana Athens (lead vocals, keyboards), Tracy Hightop (lead and rhythm guitar), Tina T-Bone Gorin (lead and rhythm guitar), Hail Mary Zadroga (bass), and Ron Salvo on drums.

“Lucky” kicks off the album with the kind of blues/rock this band is capable of. A down and dirty blues with Athens at the helm with her passionate vocals. She has a firm grasp on vocal dynamics and phrasing and sings it as if she’s living the lyrics in that moment. Blistering, overdriven guitars and a tight rhythm section pull off this crowd pleaser. The guitar riffs are meant for a Saturday night heading straight for Sunday morning.

A hard chugging rocker “Jericho” sets you up for the weekend, hopefully in a club where you’re seeing Jane Lee Hooker live. Guitar work seethes with energy and a definite edge on this anthem. Athens is a helluva vocalist, paired perfectly with these talented musicians, and they rock it like they’ve got nothing left to lose.

“White Gold” is a delightful acoustic blues surprise. Opening with resonator guitar and a nice slinky groove, this track is spare in name only. The guitars are beautifully played, one with slide, and the other showcasing some tasty picking. Athens’ voice is all attitude in the best ways. She has quite the range and a talent for making you believe every word.

A slide guitar winner, “Runaway Train” is a hard charging rock ‘n roller with energy to burn. At her best on rock tunes, Athens grabs this one with the kind of vocal phrasing some vocalists yearn for. The band is a raucous well-oiled machine that’s having a blast.

Rollin’ closes with a Johnny Winter classic, “Mean Town Blues” (CD-only bonus) with the Jane Lee Hooker stamp–rock and roll with a certain wildness and abandon. Drummer Ron Salvo is simply killing it on this track.

Go see Jane Lee Hooker live.

Listen to “Lucky”