Album Notes

"State Line Blues" is the re-released debut CD from Lew Jetton & 61 South. Selected as a "Pick to Click" on XM Satellite Radio's Bluesville (channel 74 and channel 854 on DirecTV), and honored as the 4th best Independent Blues Release in the United States by Real Blues Magazine for the year 2000.

"State Line Blues" features 9 Jetton originals among it's 11 tracks, including the fan favorites "Homegrown Tomato," "Getting Colder" and the title track, "State Line Blues."

Real Blues Magazine:
" a Southern drawl singin' voice that's straight 'ol blues and the guitar work drips with Dixie blues-rock flavour, but with a touch of Chicago. 61 South has a harmonica player that I swear is the reincarnation (in style at least) of Slim Harpo and he plays like no one else on the blues scene today.... Straight authentic Southern style blues in all its down-home glory....too damn good to be a local secret. and 61 South should be on festival stages all over the U.S. showing how real Southern Blues should sound at it's best.....This CD is one of those rare ones that make it all worthwhile. To discover a disc this entertaining and rewarding gives one a great boost of adrenaline and motivation..... Hopefully, this release will be the first of many and 61 South will become household names amongst blues fans who love the REAL THING. 5 bottles for a thoroughly entertaining debut release. Southern-fried and tasty....more please!"

Blues On Stage:
"The writing is very good, standing up to "blues standards" well....
The music is a mix of hard-driving blues and slower tunes with a touch of soul. While the music is mostly guitar driven, the harmonica and organ are deployed well and frequently prominent. This band is quite tight. Jetton's vocal are strong, his voice sometimes sounding a bit like Gregg Allman with a deeper voice or like that of Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish with a raspy voice.

This is a good release -- especially for a self -- produced product. The many original tunes can't be found elsewhere, of course"

Delta Snake Daily Blues:
"From the opening notes of this compact disc, it's obvious these guys mean business. 61 South is a six piece outfit fronted by guitarist Lew Jetton.... This band does things their way, and though influences come to mind, it comes out as 61 South. ...
Jetton shows himself as a good songwriter mixing things up well, and the backing from the rest of the band is suited to what they do. Plenty of room is afforded for each individual's talents, and musically, they are excellent."

Nightlife:
"Jetton is the real deal-- a passionate singer with a riveting voice and a strong, original guitar tone.... Able to play fluidly (the guitar lines in "Gettin’ Colder" evoke Eric Clapton at the height of his early-seventies power) or with jagged bluster (the heavy stomp of "What’s Wrong"), Jetton’s magnificent playing consistently increases in ferocity, even when it seems as if it’s past the breaking point....
The explosive conviction of Jetton’s singing carries him a long way here, and so does his feel for the blues as an art form....
Jetton’s guitar playing exhibits this understanding-- instead of playing straightforward, standard blues patterns Jetton varies them slightly, and never plays them the same way twice..... State Line Blues is nothing less than satisfying; frequently, it approaches extraordinary"