Will Jacobs & Marcos Coll   

Takin Our Time

Gaztelupeko Hotsak

Will Jacobs went to high school in Winnetka, Illinois where he was the guitarist in the Grammy winning New Trier High School Jazz Band in 2008. The following year Jacobs was the winner in the Youth Division of the Chicago Blues Challenge sponsored by The Windy City Blues Society. He represented that society at the International Blues Challenge and was the winner of a 2010 Generation Blues Scholarship. He went onto to study at The Berklee College of Music in Boston. As a sideman he has played with numerous Chicago artists including Linsey Alexander, Sharon Lewis, and Breezy Rodio; and opened for name artists including Billy Branch, Toronzo Cannon and Tommy Castro. He has since toured with C.J. Chenier. Jacobs is now twenty-six years old.

Marcos Coll is approximately eighteen years older but has a similar story. He was born in Madrid in 1976 and started playing harmonica when he was thirteen. He became the harmonica player in Los Reyes del KO (literally The Knockout Kings) with guitarist Adrian Costa, one of the top blues bands in Spain. In 200­­4 he moved to Berlin and soon became part of that cities blues scene. He is endorsed by the German based Hohner Harmonica Company. Coll has previously released his own two-cd compilation “Under The Wings” including tracks recorded with Buddy Miles, Herb Hardesty, Tino Gonzalez, Sax Gordon and others. In 2016 he recorded “Street Preachin” with guitarist Stefano Ronchi.

Jacobs, vocals, guitar, bass and drums; and Coll, harmonicas; recorded this new album at The Paul Linke Studio in Berlin in 2019. Engineered by Alex Ott and Stefano Ronchi, the album was mixed and mastered by Ronchi. With overdubs they are a four-piece band with an old school spark.

Opening with “It Ain’t Safe” written by Clarence Carter and George Jackson and first recorded by Z.Z. Hill in 1972; they are funky and soulful. One is immediately impressed with guitarist Jacobs and how he establishes the rhythm before soloing. “Stranded” credited to Deadric Malone was recorded by Little Junior Parker in 1959. Six more tunes are written by Jacobs including “Going To Berlin”; a live version of which later closes the set. The instrumental “Bluescazorla Boogie” is the only co-write by Jacobs and the harp wielding Coll.

The pair generate that special excitement that we come to expect from seasoned veterans. Then you realize that as young as they are Jacobs and Coll are experienced. Expect to love this one. You will.

Richard Ludmerer