I just received the new
Memphis Gold release,
Pickin' In High Cotton and it's quite interesting. The recording opens with
How You Gonna Play The Blues which really has a lot of the characteristics of original delta music and a strong rhythm of Africa and Mali although Memphis Gold has a much more refined voice. Robert Lighthouse plays some really tasty slide work under of a good part of this release. Drums are primarily handled by Eric "High Cotton" Selby throughout. Next up is
Biscuit Boogie which is a little acoustic blues with guitar, harp and voice. Again with polish but keeping to the basics. Interesting dynamics.
Don't Take My Blues Away is a more modern sounding track (because the instruments are in tune and sound expensive) but again with the feelings of early blues. MG has a strong singing style and smooth voice and has a style similar to Taj Mahal on tis track if I could say anyone. He is joined by Mariah Moore on vocals on this track. Sounds really like a sincere attempt to play original delta blues without any attempt to mimic the old scratchy, crappy instrumentals or howling voice. The soul is there and the blues is there. Very nice.
Pickin' In High Cotton again takes the modern route on an older theme. MG does Hookers and Wolf's blues without the need to try to sound like them, with his own style and successfully!
Pete ragusa joins on drums. Back Po'ch Tennessee is a cool instrumental boogie with slick guitar work showing 6 string electric and slide work to keep you hopping (one of my favorite tracks).
Homeless Blues is deep in the delta again with the back track of Muddy Waters but with modern arrangement and instrumentation and the refined vocals of MG. It's actually a cool contrast... and the the droning slide on one note ... just gets it perfect.
Mississippi Flatlands takes more of a country blues (not country-blues) style with a repetitive finger picked rhythm for MG to sing over. Again very perceptive attack.
John Brown sounding like an early Morganfield in Chicago (not his voice...his spirit). Jay Summerour adds some nice harp to this track. Danny Blue joins on guitar for
Ice Cream Man showing an additional guitar texture. A strong Hooker beat is present and MG delivers on vocal.
Plow My Mule is the most contemporary track on the recording with Linwood Taylor joining on electric guitar and Robert "Mousey" Thompson joins on drums.
Standin' By The Highway takes a totally different turn with a fusion of Billy Preston, James Brown and MG. We're talking funky. Additional musicians on this track are Dan Leake (drums) and Rowe Oliver (bass).
This is a cool release with a lot of the characteristics of the fathers of the blues and a lot of the refinements on today. It's good to hear a new generation embracing the older style of music.
