Jack White drops his "Blunderbuss"

I will confess to being a Jack White fan, in all of his various incarnations, White Stripes, Raconteurs, even the Dead Weather where he is a vocalist and drummer (?!?). Loved his appearance in "It Might Get Loud." I dug his occasional production duties like his work on the comeback Loretta Lynn album "Van Lear Rose." I got over and forgave Jack his move to a tony suburb of Nashville. Like a lot of fans, I still consider him "ours." A born and raised Michigan boy. So he didn't stay, like Eminem and Kid Rock, so what! You can take the rock star out of Michigan but you can't take Michigan out of the rock star.

Therefore I was excited by the news of a new Jack White solo record. Jack has recorded some "one-off" singles and soundtracks recording. Even contributed vocals to Danger Mouse and  Danielle Luppi's "Rome" album from last year. But this is Jack's first official "solo" release.  I have only had a chance to listen a couple of times through and I like what I hear so far. The track that is getting the most early buzz, and the most commercial to my ears is "Love Interruption" which I have sampled below. It's also the first single from the album.

It was also performed on SNL a few weeks back where he appeared with an all female band on this tune and an all-male band on "Sixteen Saltines."

Like I said I have only had a chance to listen to "Blunderbuss" all the way through a couple of times, but it already is a candidate for my top release of the year.

Jack announced that he is playing the Masonic Theater on May 24, reserving half the seats for in-person sales at UHF and Street Corner Music, two great local indie stores. He put in safeguards making it difficult for scalpers and the so-called "secondary" market to mark these up and sell them at inflated prices. He also made it impossible for me to get a ticket as most middle aged attorneys don't have the opportunity to stand in line starting 4 hours before tickets go on sale. But that's alright. I have had my chance to see the White Stripes. Let the kids get them at a price they can afford! Better that the true fans who stand in line to see the artists they love get the ticket then some guy (like me) paying "whatever it takes" to see the show.

Here are a couple of obscure Jack White tracks. One is one of his vocal turns from the afore-mentioned "Rome" album, on the track "Two Against One" possibly my favorite tune from 2011.

Here Jack takes the producer's chair for 60's and 70's country songbird Loretta Lynn. If you recall Jack's version of Dolly Parton's country chestnut "Jolene" then you know that Jack has a love and a feel for this type of music. He spends much of his time running the Third Man Record label and Third Man Record store in Tennessee, which features Loretta as one of it's artists. The tune is "Portland Oregon" from the "Van Lear Rose" album.

Here's a live take of the same track from the David Letterman show!

Jack White has acted, dated actresses, married models and even become a father. He seems to dedicate a good portion of his time to keeping alive the vinyl record industry. He has become a very rich man. But, as he put on display in the must-see "It Might Get Loud" (which you gotts seek out if you are a fan of Jack's, U2's The Edge or Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page) it always comes down to the music. His love and respect for it shines through everything he does. The man is always worth a listen and I highly recommend this release!