Over the past few years, I've watched the young Chicago guitarist Jamiah Rogers and his band Dirty Chxrch (Isaiah “Zay” Horne – bass, Tyvon “Tank” Rice – drums) perform on Rosa's Lounge's Facebook live streams. His intense brand of blues grabs you by the collar and doesn't let go. It's a gripping mix of blues, rock, funk, and soul.

Rogers started out on drums but moved to guitar at a young age, forming his first power trio at the age of 15 (Jamiah on Fire & The Red Machine). He recently signed with Delmark Records, releasing his label debut, Chicago Cowboy.

The blistering “Mojo Man” opens the disc, a staggering mix of blues and rock that starts out full blast and never lets up. “Sacrifice” settles things down just a bit, adding a strong dose of funk, but there's still a healthy dose of Rogers' fiery fretwork before the song wraps.

“I Still Wonder” is a soulful, mid-tempo blues rocker with a smooth vocal from Rogers, and the frenzied “On and On” brings the funk back into the mix.

The ballad “Let Me Live” provides a change of pace, adding a little island flavor within its space, and the mid-tempo “Tell Me What It Is” follows, flowing along smoothly. The intensity returns full-bore with the title track, which hits hard with Rogers' guitar, locking into a nasty groove, thanks to Horne and Rice's contributions.

Drummer Rice and guest bassist Larry Williams also figure prominently on the next tune, the funk workout “Comin' For Mines,” which features another soaring guitar run by Rogers to close the track.

Rogers shares lead vocals with Amyna Pearson on the soul burner “I Know You Gotta Go,” with Rogers delivering a fine vocal that works very well with Pearson's. The final Rogers original tune is “Do It Right,” another tasty mix of blues, funk, and rock.

Rogers proves himself to be a solid songwriter on these ten tracks, and he's definitely an intense guitarist and vocalist who's easily able to handle the more soulful moments as well.

There are also a pair of “bonus cuts” that conclude the album, both covers which serve as tributes to a pair of Rogers' influences. The first cut is Buddy Guy's “Leave My Girl Alone,” which Rogers plays as a slow blues, letting the intensity slowly build until he turns loose with soaring guitar work at the midway point of the song.I think Guy would approve. The second cut is Ray Charles' “What'd I Say,” which retains the basic melody of the original but Rogers goes positively Hendrixian with his fretwork throughout.

Chicago Cowboy is loaded with intensity, energy, and lots of heart. It serves as a powerful introduction of Jamiah Rogers and Dirty Chxrch to the blues world, and the blues world may never be the same.

--- Graham Clarke