Jesus on a Tortilla is the latest band of musicians who play a certain style of post war, early electric blues to make their way to the JUNCTION.

I guess at this stage in the game the term “post war” deserves some clarification as Americans in particular have been taught that a state of war is a permanent and inevitable way of life. To Millennials the term “post war” couldn’t possibly have any meaning. By way of review for our long time readers, this term is used to describe the years immediately following World War 2. The late 40’s and early 50’s,to nail it down for the chronologically challenged. Oh I know, it gets confusing because during the time we refer to as Post War America, we were engaged in the Korean War. The conflict was a result of tensions surrounding the Cold War.

Anyway, there is a small, but global blues community, which listens to and plays this particular brand of blues. In the case of bands like Southern California’s Silver Kings and others, it is a dogmatic mission to present post war, early electric blues, often in the Chicago tradition, to audiences who otherwise may not be familiar with this sound. The practitioners have become connected to others throughout the world who share this passion and speak this language.

One of these bands is Jesus on a Tortilla. The band hails from Milan in the northern part of the Lombardia region of Italy. Their first and most recent CD Gone to Main Street features twelve covers of songs by Jimmy Rogers, Little Walter, Big Walter Horton, John Brim, the big enchilada himself, Muddy Waters and others.

The band, which dates back to 2011, is made up of Lorenzo “Mumbles” Albai on harmonica and vocals, Kevin “Blind Lemon” Clementi on guitar, Massimiliano “Ximi” Chiara on bass and drummer Mateo “Evens” Ferrario. They are young men on a mission to faithfully reproduce the sound of this blues sub-genre. They do this by using the same instrumentation and recording techniques used by the pioneers of the sound.

What I have always found attractive about this particular brand of blues is that it was originally made without any outside influence from the commercial marketplace. It was made when electronic instruments were new to the genre and before different types of rock & roll started to assert its influence on this music. For many it is a very pure form of musical expression and for bands like Jesus on a Tortilla or certainly the modern high priest of this underground worldwide movement, Mark Mumea of the Silver Kings’ and Elgins’ fame, nothing else will do.

As far as the name of the band is concerned, I asked Albai how that came about. He explained that in Italy there are lots of bands called Black Cat Blues, Tomcat Blues, Black Dog Blues, Blues Blah Blah and on and on. He went on to explain these bands often sound more like rock than blues. That, of course, sounds familiar. He also pointed out that the band decided that they didn’t want “blues” in the name. They also wanted a “non-placeable name.” I think they succeeded.

I asked Albai the tough, but important question which is ‘What is it that attracts you and your band mates to this music?’ He acknowledged that it is a hard thing to answer in words. He went on to say that ‘…there is a feeling you get when you play a single instrument in the context of a band.’  He added ‘...they just learned the language, a way of doing blues, that’s all.’

That language lives in Jesus On A Tortilla. Gone To Main Street will take listeners on a journey back to the world of live mono recordings where music was made in the moment and represents, to my ears anyway, a beautiful example of pure artistic expression. They are speaking in a language that, in my view, is too seldom heard. I wish this young band all the good fortune and success the world has to offer.

-David Mac