Album Notes

Jonathan Blake is a powerful new voice on the California Rock and Pop scene.
With a voice as strong as any legendary blues singer, and guitar skills envied by all the guitar players that hear him, he delights male and female fans with a strong blend of roots and new ideas.
His first CD, "Wake Up Call" is 11 tracks recorded by LA Producer Rob Mullins. Its an acoustic journey through the mind of a storyteller wise beyond his 21 years with flavors of the South, and the breezy winds of the California surf culture.
Jon is performing regularly around the LA area now and his live one man show is one not to be missed. Jon is high energy rock, and will take you to the edge of cliff, then sit down and steal the girl. HOT.

CD REVIEW

“Wake Up Call” is not your ordinary CD coming right out of the gate for the first time. Jonathan Blake blends his many influences into his music, paying homage to those who unknowingly helped create the musician who wrote and played each song on “Wake Up Call.” The 21-year-old, former quarterback and pitcher from Orange County California’s Troy High School, brings to “Wake Up Call,” deep and profound lyrics, backed by his rich, rhythmic acoustic guitar, that takes his listeners from learning of life’s confusions, to self-awareness and the reason to continue on life’s path - a bit bruised, but world wiser. Jonathan’s soulful vocals compliments each lyric he brings from his soul to blend perfectly with the musicianship he brings to his guitar. To not add Jonathan Blake’s “Wake Up Call” to your CD collection is cheating yourself of the honor of being touched by this brilliant young artist; an honor you deserve.
“Wake Up Call” begins interestingly enough with the 30-second classical yet bluesy instrumental “Squids” that segues perfectly into the second track “Just Fine” a song of past pains and self-redemption. Following up is the shortest of the eleven tracks, “Reflections.” “Reflections” brings out the full-bodied sound of Jonathan’s guitar as he sings of memories gone by; memories that contribute in shaping us into the people we are to become.
The title track, “Wake Up Call,” is a magnificently arraigned song that brings out the realization that it is time to stop “messin’ up real bad” and choose a better path to journey down. The path Jonathan seems to lead us to is the next track “Better Days.” Adding some mind-bending blues licks, “Better Days” brings the listener just that much closer to becoming the true person that God created them to be.
“Make up your mind” is a sentimental piece that allows you to feel the emotion in Jon’s soulful falsettos as he speaks of the pains of relationships. Often time the trials of relationship lead to the awareness of the pain it can cause and the desire to numb you from the pain. In the next track, “Novocain,” Jonathan speaks of the Novocain that numbs that pain while he brings out much more of his amazing guitar talents.
The first seven tracks on “Wake Up Call” focus on individual feelings and discoveries. “Her Smile” the eighth track shows Jonathan’s caring side as he speaks of the unhappiness of another. You can feel this girl’s unhappiness through Jonathan’s passionate playing as well as his compassionate, loving lyrics.
With “My Own Selfishness” Jonathan gets back to self-discoveries, where you finally begin to become your own person, letting the light inside you shine bright, no longer worrying about letting other’s down.
As the path of self-realization unfolds we finally come to the place of discovering love and passion in “She Said.” You cannot help but to feel the passion of the lyrics with the sexy, Latin sound Jonathan accomplishes through his brilliantly played guitar on “She Said.”
Wrapping up the journey through “Wake Up Call” is “This Love” the song that shows us that no matter how painful the journey may have been, there is that special someone at the end who makes sense of all the trial and tribulations the journey provided; the one person who makes everything, no matter how painful, okay.
Jonathan Blake is at the beginning of his new journey and “Wake Up Call” paves a smooth path for him to journey down. I have listened to countless records, CD’s, Audiotapes, and 8-tracks in my lifetime. Having been in or associated with the music industry for a large portion of my life, I have been fortunate enough to hear my fair share of debut releases, but none can compare to Jonathan Blake’s debut release “Wake Up Call.” If I didn’t know better, I would have believed that “Wake Up Call” was the later recording, released by an artist a bit more seasoned than Jonathan. To say “Wake Up Call” is a “must have CD” is way too cliché. What is not to cliché to say is that if you do not get this CD you are cheating yourself out of the opportunity to witness where this brilliant young artist begins his career and where he takes it. The world is ready for a new acoustic guitar slinging singer-song writer, who is talented with a unique sound that separates him from the pack while blending his sound and style into what should be accepted in to the mainstream. Jonathan Blake and his brilliant debut CD “Wake Up Call” are anything but mainstream, but to truly understand what I’m saying you must hear it yourself. I’ve given you your wake up call, now go get Jonathan Blake’s “Wake Up Call.
REVIEW by Mik Horner-the Executive Writer/Producer for KBRT Radio, AM-740