The new record by the Jason Pastras Trio, No Light That I Can See, is a love letter to the bands and music that influenced blues guitarist Jason Pastras during his formative years as a player. Each original song is a meditation on beloved music by classic artists and inspirations over the course of his life. The music was made to be both fresh and familiar, and during recording the focus was on primal immediacy and fun.

From Jason Pastras: "I have been visiting Clarksdale, Mississippi for the past few years, and every time I go I'm blown away by how vital the blues is there. I have always loved artists like Big Jack Johnson, who was an important figure in the Clarkdake Juke Joint scene; I was inspired to start my old band The Luxury Kings by becoming transfixed by the Jellyroll Kings records. But actually spending time in Clarksdale and drinking in the deep, primeval mojo of that scene has been invigorating for me. Those visits got me thinking about how much I wanted to make a back-to-basics type of blues record - very live, immediate, and unpolished. So, we set out to make something rough and ready, with the band learning the songs fast and cutting as much live in the studio as possible. Kirk (Plunkett - bass) and Dwayne (Jones - drums) were CHAMPIONS, man. They learned the songs moments before cutting them, and almost everything on the record is played live, with just a few overdubs to add extra flavor - no fixes."

The blues and blues-rock songs offered by this release chart a course through familiar stylistic territory - each somg manages to be both an homage to a seminal influence and an original work. The goal was to play the blues, honor heroes, deliver memorable songs, and play live in the studio as much as possible, just going where the nusic flowed. What resulted is a feast of blues and blues rock guitar.

"When we were done, James Wampler (studio man, recording engineer, part-time svengali) thought it might be cool to get a little supernatural with the mixes. We felt like some of the heroes we were trying to emulate would have done the same thing, so we jumped in both feet first. I love how it turned out."

"I wonder if people can tell who I was thinking of on each track..."

No Light That I Can See, the new album by the Jason Pastras Trio, is out now, everywhere yuou stream music! Use this directory to easily find it on your favorite streaming platform.