Cotton Mouth Man follows the trend of collaboration and
featuring key players to round out the disk filled with 13 no-nonsense blues
tunes. This by no means is a compromise but in this case is a certain gift to
the listener. Guests as they appear in order are Joe Bonamassa, Gregg Allman, Keb’
Mo, Warren Haynes, Ruthie Foster, Delbert McClinton and vocalist Darrell
Nulisch, long time veteran of Cotton's road band. The backbone of Cotton's band on this CD are the great Tom Hambridge on drums,
Rob McNelley on guitar, Chuck Leavell on keys, and Glenn Worf on bass.The title track, Cotton Mouth Man, features Joe Bonamassa on guitar played with the fervor
and sound of Ten Years After at Woodstock. Next up is Midnight Train featuring Gregg Allman. Subtle harmonica intro that
kicks into a full band punch. A healthy and strong sounding Gregg Allman
delivers the vocals and organ amongst great doses of Cotton’s distinctive harmonica
and tasty guitar licks from beginning to end. Mississippi Mud featuring Keb Mo is next as acoustic juke joint piano lays down the solid foundation for Cotton’s
harp, tasty electric guitar with Mo’s distinctive and cool vocals covering
the top. This is one cut wherein there is an extra nice harmonica bridge solo that is quite cool. A none too subtle homage is given to Muddy Waters in both name
dropping tip of the hat and song title inference. Something For Me
wakes things up with the Warren Haynes' slip and slide which seems to fit hand
and glove to the harmonica work. Touches of the ZZ Top like ‘buzzin’ and
processed vocals add to an over all effect. Heartfelt female vocals from Rutie
Foster gives a great change up in style in the Wrapped Around My Heart torch
song. A more complex harmonica
arrangement meshes perfectly with the blistering guitar riffs and passionate
lyrics.
Saint on Sunday gives a two-for-one “Devil on Saturday and Saint on Sunday” view of two women rolled into one. This is a straight ahead driving song with prominent harp and bass line with the organ taking a more subtle back seat. Delbert McClinton lends his distinctive vocal delivery and guitar to a definite dance tune. Hard Sometimes reminds us the of difficulties of getting someone out of your mind with a funky double entendre to boot. Drums and Bass are featured more than other cuts in the respect lent to Young Bold Women. Three words that work well together in describing what makes everything alright. Beginning with an almost a Calypso skip beat morphs into a straight up basic 4/4 blues beat only to bounce back and forth between the timing changes resulting in a song that would be easy to believe as a fun romp for the players to perform. Story telling is key to the lucky find of a Bird Nest On the Ground. Once again a good Cotton bridge solo which stands out as my favorite example of James’ notable talent on this recording. I have to admit that Keb’ Mo is one of my favorites for vocal style and his ability to tell a story. Wasn’t My Time To Go draws in the listener with more round house piano and subtle harp with what sounds like a tasty arch-top.
Blues is Good For You is a pleasant bass-driven walking blues with a simple story filled with references to Southern style and a strong platform for Cotton to blow his blues away. This is sure to bring a tap of the toe and a smile to your face. Bonnie Blue features Cotton on vocals and harmonica laid over a basic resonator guitar. It’s great to hear Cottons voice both because of the texture that he gives to the song and as a testament to his right to call himself a bluesman.
Saint on Sunday gives a two-for-one “Devil on Saturday and Saint on Sunday” view of two women rolled into one. This is a straight ahead driving song with prominent harp and bass line with the organ taking a more subtle back seat. Delbert McClinton lends his distinctive vocal delivery and guitar to a definite dance tune. Hard Sometimes reminds us the of difficulties of getting someone out of your mind with a funky double entendre to boot. Drums and Bass are featured more than other cuts in the respect lent to Young Bold Women. Three words that work well together in describing what makes everything alright. Beginning with an almost a Calypso skip beat morphs into a straight up basic 4/4 blues beat only to bounce back and forth between the timing changes resulting in a song that would be easy to believe as a fun romp for the players to perform. Story telling is key to the lucky find of a Bird Nest On the Ground. Once again a good Cotton bridge solo which stands out as my favorite example of James’ notable talent on this recording. I have to admit that Keb’ Mo is one of my favorites for vocal style and his ability to tell a story. Wasn’t My Time To Go draws in the listener with more round house piano and subtle harp with what sounds like a tasty arch-top.
Blues is Good For You is a pleasant bass-driven walking blues with a simple story filled with references to Southern style and a strong platform for Cotton to blow his blues away. This is sure to bring a tap of the toe and a smile to your face. Bonnie Blue features Cotton on vocals and harmonica laid over a basic resonator guitar. It’s great to hear Cottons voice both because of the texture that he gives to the song and as a testament to his right to call himself a bluesman.
If you are a fan of harmonica blues then
this is certainly a release that demands your spin time and attention. Less is more in this case.
Production values are superior and a definite recommended collection!
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