I knew after the first few tunes that it's a 5 star CD! My first impression is still familiar because I have heard the CD over 25 times and I am still saying the same thing "God, these guys are great"! The first of the CD is what I call jump n' jive style blues. The first few cuts of the CD proves that Nelsen and his backups are the "real deal". Very authentic blues with a very powerful Texas touch. Amazement is in the bands potency, I bet they had to put the roof back up after they left the studio. Nelsen's vocals had me in disbelief that he was the same vocalist on the first two verses as the third. Nelsen's vocal range goes from a very familiar, pure, full tone - all the way to that soulful edge that young gents like Jonny Lang only dream of having in 10 to 15 years. Unfortunately, in most blues band cases, the vocals are weak, no slackers here! Nelsen called on many avid blues artists to guarantee that this session turned out wonderful. I was very impressed in the ability of the musicians to work together. The astonishment from the vocals were just the beginning. Nelsen don't "take the show" here, he passes the hat around to the band. The horns are strong and the whole band "fills the room together". My guess is that Nelsen had planned the CD a long time and did what ever it took to introduce a great CD that is more than enough to fulfill any music lovers desire. Not a single instrument CD I was expecting since it featured Gary Primich on harmonica and Nelsen was a harp player, it was mostly harp. Every song features what it needs to express itself w/o an extra note. The CD has a mixture of instruments playing a different roll in each song. It would take a long time to get tired of this one. After the first few you realize that Nelsen wasn't pushing the limits, he has none. He steps out of the standard blues force field and directs the music into the emotion of the moment. You won't hear the normal blues spill, it's all about everyday life. The style is very broad but certainly fits into the blues genera. Reminds me of the days I had Delbert McClinton, Charlie Musselwhite, Freddie King, Keb Mo, Jonny Lang and Robert Cray in the disc-changer all at once. No moaning, crying, or whining! Keb Mo wrote a song titled "She Just Wants To Dance", installing an image in everyone's mind of a sexy girl sliding across the floor, with no worries. I bet that girl is tuned into Nelsen today! One of the few CD's I really got caught up in. If your looking for the same standard 3 chord tunes that have been being played for the last 100 years then move on. This CD is packed with 12 "gut wrenching, soulful tunes that travels from Stax to Kansas City" no sittin' still here.

Most CD titles don’t really relate to the music on them -- some do. This CD title is an exception. "Jack of All Trades" is an understatement! When a musician can sing, play guitar, harmonica and keyboards (not ok, but great), and compose 10 of the 12 songs to boot, "Jack of all trades" is totally appropriate. You never know what to expect in a new CD, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Not only does Nelsen sing and play well, he can do it in a lot of different styles. For the rest of the story visit - www.moblues.org

I have been a fan of Nelsen's since his 2000 release of Blues Got A Hold On Me, but his latest album has taken his music a step further. Hot Jump Blues with lots of harp, and sax just the way we like it. Back to Hemosa is my favorite

Nelsen Adelard's got all the bases covered on this fine disc and definitely proves he is a 'Jack of All Trades' as the title of his latest disc states. This disc is chock full of Gut Bucket Blues, Jump Blues, Gospel, and swing all the way down to what I like to call good ol' swamp stomping music! Nelsen Adelard, multi-instrumentalist (harp,guitar, piano) and vocalist, has allied himself with a superb core band and some of the most talented and tasteful bluesmen in contemporary music, including Austin's own great blues harp maestro Gary Primich and Grammy and WC Handy Award winner Kaz Kazanov on tenor sax. On this latest effort Nelsen makes a true individual statement about how his blues should be played. He's well versed in the blues tradition and is able to put his own personal spin on the music." Doug Puls