Jesse Dayton The Hard Way Blues (LP)

(Bluel Ean Records) 10 tracks

Jesse Dayton isn't just a secret hero of American music today. He's a larger-than-life storyteller who blurs the lines between genres and disciplines, with a decades-long career that highlights his work as a chart-topping guitarist, guitar hero, author, film director, screenwriter, frontman, sideman, producer and road warrior. With The Hard Way Blues, a blues-based rock album produced by Grammy-winning producer Shooter Jennings, Dayton once again redefines himself. Inspired by longtime influences like Bob Dylan, Lightnin' Hopkins and Mance Lipscomb from the '70s, the album combines some of the sharpest lyrics of Dayton's career with loud guitar riffs and amplified attitude.