Jay Willie
featuring Bobby T Torello
Still Raisin' Cane

Street Date: May 23, 2025
UPC Code: 880956250526
Availability: Worldwide
Selection # : ZM 202505

Songs:
1. Still Raisin’ Cane 3:14
Willie, Torello, Opalach
2. Wasted Days And Wasted Nights 3:23
Wayne Duncan, Freddy Fender, Huey Meaux
3. Boogie For Drums And Guitar 2:36
Paul McGhee
4. Much Too Late 5:08
Tarheel Slim, Little Ann
5. Sugar In My Tea (Cream In My Coffee) 3:47
Piney Brown, Edna Price
6. Positively 4th Street 4:22
Bob Dylan
7. I’m Lost Without You 2:30
Memphis Slim
8. Stranger 3:55
Johnny Winter
9. Jesus Gonna Be Here 3:40
Tom Waits

Musicians:

Jay Willie - guitars, slide guitar, vocals

Bobby T Torello - drums, vocals

Karen Johnstone - vocals (4)

Paul Opalach - bass, lap steel, keys, guitar

Doug Bernstein - tenor saxophone

Still Raisin’ Cane is our 7th rhythm and blues recording, a project born from deep admiration and musical kinship. For over 20 years, ZOHO Music has been a champion of independent music, and we're honored to continue our partnership with Jochen Becker and this esteemed label, a relationship that began back in 2013 with the Jay Willie Blues Band’s New York Minute (ZM 201303.)

Still Raisin' Cane is a heartfelt tribute to my musical hero, Johnny Winter, and the incredible musicians who contributed to his legendary sound. Johnny's 1980 album Raisin' Cain on Blue Sky Records, featuring Jon Paris on bass and harmonica and Bobby T Torello on drums, was a pivotal record for me. I was fortunate enough to jam with both Jon and Bobby at BB Kings in NYC during Jon's Monday night open mic sessions, experiences that remain vivid memories.

Bobby T's distinctive drumming style, so integral to Johnny's music, has graced all seven of our ZOHO releases. This album, in many ways, is a continuation of that powerful rhythmic legacy. We've always admired Johnny's ability to take classic Texas and New Orleans R&B from the pre-rock and roll era and make it his own. Bobby and I wanted to honor that spirit and the energy of albums like Raisin' Cain and White Hot and Blue, which Bobby so powerfully defined with his drumming.

Rather than simply re-recording tracks from those iconic albums (an endeavor that could never truly compare to the originals), we chose a different path. We sought out songs that resonated with the style and form of Johnny's repertoire, songs that we felt he, and his fans, would recognize and appreciate in our interpretations. Just as Johnny produced Muddy Waters' Grammy-winning Hard Again in 1977, a title with such clever double meaning, we wanted a title that spoke to Bobby's enduring talent and energy.

In 2016, I acquired three of Johnny's original canes from the Raisin' Cain album cover at an auction. This includes the clear cane with the whale's tooth that Bobby T himself holds on the CD cover. It became clear to Bobby T and me: Still Raisin' Cane was the perfect title to capture the essence of this project.

The title track, “Still Raisin' Cane” is a collaboration between Bobby T, Paul Opalach, and myself, Jay Willie. The remaining tracks, carefully selected, include gems from Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Freddy Fender, and other early R&B artists whose music paved the way for rock and roll.

Paul Opalach, an accomplished bassist, multi-instrumentalist, and owner/engineer of Long Hill Recording Studio in Shelton, CT (where this album was recorded and mastered), plays bass on all tracks, lap steel on the title track, and some guitar on “Much Too Late”.

Karen Johnstone's captivating vocals on "Much Too Late" add another layer of richness to the album. Her extensive experience performing in Connecticut, NYC, and throughout New England, across multiple genres, made her the ideal choice for this song.

Doug Bernstein, whose saxophone has graced stages shared with B.B. King, Gatemouth Brown, The Nighthawks, Charlie Musselwhite, Roomful of Blues, and countless others, brings his incredible talent to this recording.

This album is a labor of love, a tribute to musical influences, and a celebration of the enduring power of rhythm and blues. We hope you enjoy Still Raisin' Cane as much as we enjoyed creating it.
Jay Willie