Baltimore native Dennis Jones first made noise in the music world when he led the L.A.-based hard rock & funk band, Blackhead, but he turned to the blues in the ’90s when he formed the Dennis Jones Band and started playing house-rocking blues with rock influences like the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Santana mixed in with the blues of B.B., Albert, and Freddie King and R&B in the tradition of Al Green and Motown. The results are summarized pretty clearly on Jones’ third release, Pleasure & Pain (Blue Rock Records).

Jones is backed by a sturdy rhythm section (Michael Turner – drums, Tony Ruiz – bass) and with Jones’ stinging, searing leads and fills, that’s all that’s needed. He doesn’t overplay on his solos…..there’s not an extra note or anything out of place. Jones’ vocals are smooth, yet forceful, with just the right amount of tension in the background. He also wrote all of the songs for the disc, putting an original and contemporary twist in his lyrics.

Highlights include the swinging opening track, “Brand New Day,” driven hard by a horn section, the only track on the disc to features horns. “Kill The Pain,” a slow blues with some of the best guitar on the disc, tackles substance abuse. “ “Blue Over You” is about a love that’s out of reach, and “Sunday Morning Rain” is a downhearted track that would be a seamless fit in either blues or country circles.

“Try Not To Lie” is a hard-rocking number about deception in a relationship, and “I Want It Yesterday” is a topical tune that perfectly captures today’s generation obsessed with instant gratification. The thundering closer, “Hot Sauce,” provides a perfect conclusion to an impressive set, with Jones quoting “3rd Stone From The Sun” as things wrap up.