“Overclocked is the wonderful second album from solo artist Jim Allchin from Washington. … The CD contains thirteen songs that explore a variety of styles that holds your interest from start to end. Opening My Eyes To Love is an awesome track; the playing will send shivers down your back. Allchin’s drips in emotion, coming over a little like Frank Gambale, the theme is melodic and quite romantic in structure with some tasty tapping running through, the soaring hummable melody is just beautiful and oozes Joe Bonamassa and Eric Johnson. Fall is another great track, a little more funky and complex, whilst Just Playing with Me is a vocal led track that leans towards Steve Winwood and Bruce Hornsby territory with hints of Spencer Davis and Paul McCartney. A truly excellent song that grows more with each listen. The title track Overclocked is fuzzy and shuffles along with hammond organs and sharp guitar work, again in the Bonamassa/Winwood style with a little rocky early Van Halen guitar vibe running through. …”

 - Nicky Baldrian, Fireworks Magazine, UK

Many of you have done a fantastic job referring other fans to the contest. Our 5 top referrals this week are:

Randy Saunders
Jeremy Craig
Ron Bertorello
Chris Meadows
Steve Swearingen

Remember, every time you refer a new fan to enter the contest and follow Jim on facebook, twitter or email, you increase your chances to win!

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Jim Allchin/Overclocked— God knows where Allchin has been hiding, but his guitar is something else! Touches of Stevie Ray bleed through on certain tracks and, yes, it is blues-based but is not all blues. Allchin borrows from R&B, fifties rock and jazz to make his point. Well-balanced in terms of production, performance and song style. Guitarists, be aware!

- Frank Gutch, Jr.

“The performance of the extraordinarily talented guitarist is highly emotionally charged. He doesn’t want to show off his skill but enchant with his instrument and his music. The backing musicians not only perform professionally but give their best enthusiastically on the production containing Jim Allchin’s songs.

Overclocked is a mature, balanced and thoughtfully orchestrated album that is easy to like because of its tunes filled with a great atmosphere, feeling and because of its guitar solos that feature a unique mixture of techniques.”
- Hungary Blues Van, December 2011

Artist: Jim Allchin
Title: Overclocked
Label: Sandy Key Music LLC CD-JA002

“It has to be said that Jim Allchin’s life story to date, is virtually the classic ‘rags to riches’ story. He was born in 1951 into a poor family in Grand Rapids, Michigan, They moved to Keysville, Florida while he was still a toddler. The family were so poor that both his parents took on farm work and when he and his older brother Keith could, they too worked on the farm to make ends meet. In his youth he became interested in electrical engineering, he flitted between periods of being at college and playing in local bands.

Eventually, in 1973, he graduated from University with a B.S. in Computer Sciences. After a successful period with Texas Instruments, he joined computer giant Microsoft and during his sixteen years at the company, he played a key part in the highly successful Microsoft server business. In 2003 Jim had found that he had health problems, this was to cause him to reconsider his future priorities and as a consequence, when he fully recovered his health, in 2007 he walked away from Microsoft and returned to his first love, music. At first, as he puts it, just playing “woodshedding” guitar music, later with release of CD’s . He embarked on a solo blues career with the debut release of “Enigma” in 2009.

Now, he has unleashed “Overclocked” A collection thirteen original compositions that range in guitar styles from sublime crystal clear engrossing Jazz rock influences to bone crunching blues. “Flirt,” contains a satisfying roaring, swirling, menacing set of guitar riffs “Willow Tree,” “Back in The Swamp,” and “Don’t Tell Me What T o Do,” are splendid shuffles using a wonderfully irresistible horn section, backing all-embracing, insistent tramping drums, all overlaid with swinging high energy fuzz guitar. The CD includes ballads such as; ”Mr.Unknown and “The One.” The latter contains a sublime, poetic crooning, underpinned with a brilliant emotive piano and horn section. The lyrically haunting and slow burning instrumental “Opening My Eyes To Love,” brings to mind the playing of Jeff Beck. “Overclocked,” is a foot stomping racing, raging collection of pulse-quickening energetic swaying fuzz guitar solos with hints of Jimmy Page thrown in for good measure. Keely Whitney provides sultry evocative vocals on the very tasty and lazy slow-burning blues “One For The Money,” over an equally lazy and sultry fuelled guitar/organ background that rises to a peak as the number reaches it end.

Jim has created a marvellous blues album that embraces both the old and the new without losing sight of what the blues stand for.

Highly recommended!”
Brian Harman, Blues in the South

“Jim Allchin’s “Overclocked” is a masterpiece. The lyrics are strong, and Allchin plays his guitar with incredible intensity. One of the best albums of the year.”  - Top 21 John Shelton Ivany

“One of the great surprises of 2011, Allchin’s Overclocked grabs the listener’s attention and never lets it go. He is a welcome addition to contemporary Blues because he has the sound, the phrasings, the lyrics and mood of what new Blues should aspire to.” Clair DeLune, Blues Moon Radio