"Bend it" Review – extracts from The Blues Times – review by Gary deWall May 07
Here's the latest offering from one of my favourite blues players, Jack Derwin, and he continues to merge a smooth, modern, urban feel with traditional blues themes and instrumentation.
The Jack Derwin trademarks are all there: great dynamic acoustic guitar and slide; nice harp and stomp-box; terrific voice; great songs; and beautiful clear recording that captures a crisp, live sound – he puts the same effort and dynamics into his studio work as he does live.
Paul Cutlan on sax adds to the laid back, jazzy sound on some numbers, and adds a whole lot of grunt to others. Very nice indeed.
Jack serves up a vocal mix of lounge singer, jazz/blues crooner, and low down mean and dirty bluesman, and carries them all off beautifully. In fact I think this CD contains some of the meanest and dirtiest vocals I've heard from him.
I know I'm probably starting to sound like a one man Jack Derwin fan club, but I really can't fault this CD.

Review by Gary deWall, Public officer and reviewer with "The Blues Times" (Sydney Blues Society) Sept. 05 issue no 150

"The night kicked off with a solo acoustic bluesman, our old friend JACK DERWIN. Jack put in another great set. Although he was first up, he had the audience in the palm of his hand as he delivered a great bunch of originals, including one called Memphis Jitter Blues. Great songs and playing, and that dynamic, crystal clear guitar sound that Jack delivers so well."

By Julie (Fehlberg) Fox, SBS

"Watching Jack play, mostly solo, over the last few years has always been a pleasure - he is one of those entertaining performers who totally throws himself into every minute of his sets, playing harmonica, guitar, stomp box, tambourine and vocals."

Also: by Julie

"Picture this - sitting on the deck of Rydges, drink in one hand, seafood basket in the other, watching the yachts and surfers at Cronulla beach and listening to one of our most versatile 3 piece bands, Jack Derwin & the Black Cats. Definitely value for money, musically, with a very smooth sound and varied choice of material and instruments."

Gary deWall (SBS) cd review

"I'd call this 21st Century Australian Urban Blues, traditional blues instrumentation (acoustic and electric guitar, slide, stomp box, harp, with a bit of sax and rhythm section on occasions), bluesy structures, a mix of modern and timeless themes, and a light, smooth modern feel to it. A very listenable CD indeed!"
"Jack's a very dynamic guitarist, with lots of big gutsy chords and soft, sweet picking. And the recording picks up the guitar beautifully, crisp and clean"