JD Simo & Luther Dickinson - Do The Rump!

Album: Do The Rump!
Size: 95,1 MB
Time: 41:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Styles: Blues/Rock/Roots mix
Art: Front

1. Street People (3:10)
2. Right Down There (4:03)
3. Lonesome Road (4:45)
4. Come And Go With Me (4:54)
5. Serves Me Right To Suffer (3:49)
6. Do The Rump Louise (7:44)
7. Come On (2:56)
8. Peaches (9:44)

JD Simo and Luther Dickinson have successful separate careers, but when they met playing with Phil Lesh, they discovered that they shared many influences and their guitar styles went well together. The result is this album that re-works tunes by some of their heroes, plus one original tune. The music is clearly heavily influenced by Hill Country blues but also brings in elements of Afrobeat, especially in the drumming of Adam Abrashoff, the third musician here; Simo and Dickinson share the vocals, guitar and bass.

The album opens with some weirdly distorted guitar that makes you want to check if the CD is damaged, but soon morphs into a slide-driven take on Bobby Charles’ “Street People” with plenty of trash-can drums and grungy guitars. JJ Cale’s “Right Down There” follows, the drums taking centre stage as the vocals sit quite low in the mix, slide again featured. There are two tunes from Mississippi Hill Country legend Junior Kimbrough: “Lonesome Road” and the title track “Do The Rump”: the former again features some rather ‘distant’ vocals over steady drums and keening slide, the latter including elements of “Louise”, the Howling Wolf tune, Dickinson’s slide work well to the fore, before Simo takes over on an extended take that runs over seven minutes.

John Lee Hooker also gets two numbers from the trio. “Serves Me Right To Suffer” is given a lively treatment, rather more upbeat than many covers of the song and the less well known “Come And Go With Me” combines a heavy vocal with a slower-paced rhythm, both guitars heard to advantage. Luther’s acoustic slide work leads into “Peaches”, from the ‘Godfather’ of Hill Country blues, RL Burnside, which closes the album in expansive style at close to ten minutes, allowing ample space for the guitarists to duel effectively. “Come On” is the sole original and also the shortest cut on the album, running to less than three minutes, still fitting in with the overall Hill Country style of the covers. The almost hypnotic quality of the music here should appeal to those who enjoy Hill Country blues music. /John Mitchell, Blues Blast Magazine

Do The Rump! mc
Do The Rump! gofile

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New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers - New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Vol. 1

Size: 107,8 MB
Time: 46:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Blues, Why You Worry Me (Feat. Charlie Musselwhite) (6:55)
02. Pony Blues (Feat. Alvin Youngblood Hart) (4:07)
03. Night Time (Feat. Jimbo Mathus) (5:05)
04. Come On Down To My House (Feat. Jim Dickinson) (4:16)
05. K.C. Moan (Feat. Charlie Musselwhite) (3:06)
06. Let’s Work Together (Feat. Jim Dickinson) (4:24)
07. Strange Land (Feat. Charlie Musselwhite) (6:49)
08. Shake It And Break It (Feat. Jimbo Mathus) (2:50)
09. Stone Free (Feat. Alvin Youngblood Hart) (3:40)
10. Stop And Listen Blues (Feat. Alvin Youngblood Hart) (4:55)

This is the first volume of music from roots “super group,” New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers: Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Jimbo Mathus, the late Jim Dickinson, and North Mississippi Allstars members Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson. Recorded at the Zebra Ranch Recording Studio in Hernando, Mississippi, the 10 blues-drenched tracks of sublime roots music on New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Volume 1 will be followed in the spring of 2021 by Volume 2.

The New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers originated back in January, 2008, when musician brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson sat down for a guitar jam with ex-Squirrel Nut Zippers leader Jimbo Mathus, along with blues greats Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart and the late Memphis pianist, producer and all around musical stylist Jim Dickinson, gathered for a self-described “hardcore blues” recording under the group name of the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers.

For more than 12 years, that recording’s existence was mentioned only obscurely in interviews, and referenced as a great old-school recording by those few witnesses. It was done in one take off-the- floor over a couple of late nights, where the musicians all sat in one big circle in the studio and played quietly amongst the microphones, taking turns singing out in the room and improvising on the spot. Despite the fact that Jim Dickinson finished production before his death in summer of 2009, the album just hung out in the archives, waiting. It is a testament to the great experience and talent of these esteemed performers that they could casually conjure a recording of this quality out of the ether this way, sounding as if the listener is right there in the room with them, with between-song banter and commentary, the classic structures of the blues, being pulled together and teased apart by some of the most award-decorated members of the blues elite. This album crosses the generations of new blues-rockers and classic blues statesmen.

It is a testament to the great experience and talent of these esteemed performers that they could casually conjure a recording of this quality out of the ether this way. Sounding as if you are right there in the room with them with between-song banter and commentary, the classic structures of the Blues, being pulled together and teased apart by some of the most award-decorated members of the Blues Elite. This album crosses the generations of new BluesRockers and Classic Blues Statesmen.

New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Vol. 1 MP3
New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers Vol. 1 FLAC

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Mike Zito - A Tribute To Chuck Berry

Size: 161,2 MB
Time: 67:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues Rock, Rock & Roll
Art: Full

01. St.Louis Blues (Feat. Charlie Berry III) (3:20)
02. Rock And Roll Music (Feat. Joanna Connor) (3:08)
03. Johnny B Goode (Feat. Walter Trout) (3:49)
04. Wee Wee Hours (Feat. Joe Bonamassa) (5:25)
05. Memphis (Feat. Anders Osborne) (3:05)
06. I Want To Be Your Driver (Feat. Ryan Perry) (2:55)
07. You Never Can Tell (Feat. Robben Ford) (4:00)
08. Back In The USA (Feat. Eric Gales) (3:02)
09. No Particular Place To Go (Feat. Jeremiah Johnson) (2:50)
10. Too Much Monkey Business (Feat. Luther Dickinson) (3:13)
11. Havana Moon (Feat. Sonny Landreth) (4:21)
12. Promised Land (Feat. Tinsley Ellis) (3:29)
13. Down Bound Train (Feat. Alex Skolnick) (4:04)
14. Maybellene (Feat. Richard Fortus) (2:55)
15. School Days (Feat. Ally Venable) (3:02)
16. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (Feat. Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith) (2:16)
17. Reelin' And Rockin' (Feat. Tommy Castro) (4:01)
18. Let It Rock (Feat. Jimmy Vivino) (2:27)
19. Thirty Days (Feat. Albert Castiglia) (2:56)
20. My Ding A Ling (Feat. Kid Andersen) (3:16)

Chuck Berry, the artist, was a genius. We owe just about everything great about rock and roll to Berry (and his pianist/collaborator, Johnnie Johnson). Singer/guitarist Mike Zito pays tribute to the artist on Rock ‘n’ Roll – A Tribute to Chuck Berry.

Berry, the man, was more complicated. He was an African American who perfected a largely white artform. His career stalled due to a Mann Act conviction, which many believe to be a racist statue. People have maintained that after his 20-month jail sentence, Berry came out a changed, meaner person. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were all kinds of allegations against Berry: assaulting women, video cameras in bathrooms, and videotapes of minors. He is both survivor and a perpetrator, easy to sympathize with but hard to root for.

There’s a fantastic scene at the end of Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, the documentary about the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards efforts to organize a tribute show for Berry. Berry tortures Richards for most of the film, treating Richards more like a court-appointed dentist than as a huge rock star trying to honor Berry’s legacy. At the end of the show, Richards, who has seen some things, looks completely desiccated, totally broken by Berry. Altamont and Hells Angels were one thing. But Berry was next-level pain.

But people like Richards and Zito pay their respect because Berry’s music is just that good. Blasting this album over a weekend, my one-year-old daughter would consistently bop to Zito’s takes on these classic, instantly-recognizable songs. It says something when music resonates that powerfully with a person so young.

Zito says the album originated from his time living in St. Louis, Berry’s hometown, where he got to know Berry’s drummer and son. I suspect Zito also hoped to introduce Berry’s music to younger fans, who might not be familiar with many of these classic songs. Similarly, Zito features an impressive array of guests across the album, using this as an opportunity to promote lower-profile artists (although there are also big names, like Joe Bonamassa and Luther Dickinson, who finds time to appear on what seems to be thousands of albums a year).

There are also some cool surprises. “Downbound Train” is trippier than Berry’s original, featuring guitar right out of Led Zeppelin’s “Dazed and Confused.” The guitar comes courtesy of Alex Skolnick, best known for this work with the thrash-metal band Testament (but also an accomplished jazz guitarist). “Rock and Roll Music” is re-imagined with slide guitar and backing vocals from the amazing Joanna Connor. And “Too Much Monkey Business” features a laid-back Dickinson co-vocal that gives the song a different complexion than Berry’s higher-energy original.

Despite the stunning number of guests, Zito is never lost. His vocals and guitar are present on every track, gracefully allowing his collaborators to shine, but also not deferring to anyone. Zito never lets the songs stray too far from the Berry originals, but provides space for different takes on material that is canonically seared into the minds of many. For instance, “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” one of my all-time favorite Berry tunes, here features singer/guitarists Kirk Fletcher and Josh Smith, but doesn’t deviate too far from Berry’s original. They throw in some slightly flashier guitar licks and put a little mustard on the vocals, but otherwise the performers know better than to mess with perfection.

The perfection of Berry’s music is the challenge of an album like this. Back to the Future, which wasn’t a documentary, features a scene where Michael J. Fox, having traveled back in time to the 1950s, performs Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” at a high school dance, using all of Berry’s moves, both of the guitar and duckwalk variety. Berry’s cousin runs to call him, holding the phone up so Berry can hear the new sound he’s supposedly been looking for. It’s a goofy joke, but there’s a larger message: that Berry’s music is historically significant. The world would be a sadder place without the music of Cream or the Allman Brothers, but would things be that different? Now think about where we would be without Berry. What music wouldn’t have been written without his (and Johnson’s) coming first? Would we have a Beatles or a Stones without him?

And that’s what works about this album. It’s timeless music respectfully presented by talented artists. Zito uses his visibility not just to honor Berry, but to also re-introduce him to a generation (or two) of fans who might not be familiar with his work, which still stands up remarkably well, all those decades later. Adding on to the good deed, Zito also uses this as an opportunity to showcase contemporary artists who might not be as well-known as they should be (and many of whom have been produced by Zito, like the criminally good Albert Castiglia, who performs Berry’s “30 Days”). Great music and great intentions makes for a beautiful tribute. The Review: 9/10 ~Steven Ovadia

A Tribute To Chuck Berry

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North Mississippi Allstars - Hill Country Revue

Size: 182,8 MB
Time: 78:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Electric Blues, Blues Rock
Art: Full

01. Shake 'Em On Down ( 5:14)
02. Po Black Maddie/Skinny Woman/Po Black Maddie (12:54)
03. Jumper On The Line ( 5:17)
04. Bad Bad Pain ( 2:46)
05. Down In Mississippi ( 5:07)
06. Never In All My Days ( 4:18)
07. Boomer's Story ( 4:37)
08. Psychedelic Sex Machine ( 4:58)
09. Shimmy She Wobble/Station Blues ( 9:11)
10. Friend Of Mine ( 4:02)
11. Be So Glad ( 7:21)
12. Snake Drive ( 5:06)
13. Goin' Home Part Two ( 4:13)
14. Going Down South ( 3:01)

Personnel:
R.L. Boyce - Drums (Snare), Vocals
Duwayne Burnside - Drums, Guitar, Vocals
Garry Burnside - Guitar
R.L. Burnside - Vocals
Chris Chew - Bass, Vocals
Cody Dickinson - Drums, Guitar, Vocals, Washboard
Jim Dickinson - Keyboards, Organ, Vocals
Luther Dickinson - Guitar, Vocals
Andre Evans - drums (Bass)
Rodney Evans, Aubrey Turner - drums (Snare)
Chris Robinson - Vocals

The North Mississippi Allstars were invited to play the 2004 Bonnaroo festival, but instead of just bringing the band itself, they brought along all kinds of friends and family and dubbed it the North Mississippi Hill Country Revue. North Mississippi appears to be an incestuous musical community (just take a look at the players on R.L. Burnside's and Junior Kimbrough's albums), and this show comes off as a giant, joyous family affair. There are the Dickinsons: Luther and Cody along with their legendary father Jim, and three generations of Burnsides with R.L., sons Duwayne and Garry, and grandson Cody (R.L.'s wife was there too). In addition, Othar Turner's Rising Star Fife & Drum Band is being carried on by Othar's grandsons, and bassist Chris Chew and JoJo Hermann would have to be considered members of the extended family, having played with all those folks. The North Mississippi Allstars brand of roots rock and Mississippi blues seems tailor-made for a festival like this, and the good times shine through the great music. It's a loose, rambling set that occasionally drags a bit during introductions and audience interaction, but when the band gets down to playing, some real magic happens. They can play just about anything convincingly, from greasy Mississippi blues like "Snake River Drive" to sounding like the Band on Ry Cooder's "Boomer's Story," even making music from just an electrified washboard (wah-wah washboard) and cigar box guitar (no fooling!). Luther's slide can't help but remind one of Duane Allman, even when he's slipping Dr. John quotes into "Down in Mississippi." They know their history too, dipping into the Mississippi Sheiks songbook while performing with the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band ("Station Blues" aka "Sittin' on Top of the World" goes back to 1930 or so). There are high points throughout the album, but they really hit their stride on the last three tunes or so. No flash, no egos, and no pretension, just genuine American music played from the heart.

Hill Country Revue

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Luther Dickinson & Sisters Of The Strawberry Moon - Solstice

Size: 97,5 MB
Time: 41:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Blues Folk
Art: Front & Back

01. Superlover (Feat. Birds Of Chicago) (3:53)
02. Fly With Me (Feat. Sharde Thomas) (2:11)
03. Hallelujah (I’m A Dreamer) (Feat. Amy Lavere) (2:48)
04. Like A Songbird That Has Fallen (Feat. Amy Helm) (2:54)
05. Kathy (Feat. Birds Of Chicago) (4:17)
06. Hold To His Hand (Feat. The Como Mamas) (3:04)
07. The Night Is Still Young (Feat. Amy Lavere) (3:57)
08. Sing To Me (Feat. Amy Helm) (4:41)
09. We Made It (Feat. Sharde Thomas) (2:46)
10. Cricket (At Night I Can Fly) (Feat. Amy Lavere) (2:54)
11. Til It’s Gone (Feat. Birds Of Chicago) (5:07)
12. Search Me (Feat. The Como Mamas) (2:52)

Luther Dickinson gained his fame by mining blues and roots traditions and turning those sounds into something new. Whether solo, with his brother Cody as the North Mississippi Allstars, or as part of various other acts, Dickinson turns both technical skill and organic recording sensibility toward music that pays homage without bogging down in the past. For new release Solstice, recorded with an assemblage of star vocalists called Sisters of the Strawberry Moon, Dickinson and his peers build on that attitude, taking old and new songs and giving them a unified feel that could be dropped into nearly any era.

The album relies on the work of the vocalists and Dickinson's approach to recording. He's said that he likes to record "fast and loose", and he especially wants to get a good live vocal as the foundation of a roots recording. With a group that includes Allison Russell (from Birds of Chicago), Amy Helm, Amy LaVere, Sharde Thomas, and the Como Mamas, plenty of talent and flexibility was on hand to move quickly and get fresh tracks. The artists gathered and promptly pulled together songs and arrangements, pushing to find whatever sorts of instruments or harmonies worked for a given track. The resulting album shows both the relaxed atmosphere of the project and the skilled professionalism of the results. It's not a discredit to say the group recorded a laid-back jam with the deliberate intent of preserving it for posterity (Dickinson's merger of fun collaborator and thoughtful historian).

All of that would be just an interesting footnote if the songs and performances themselves weren't so good. With every vocalist or vocal group getting two or three tracks, no one manages to take over the record. The Como Mamas – perhaps the most logical partners for Dickinson given their Mississippi geography and musical origin – change the tone of the album the most. These three singers have big voices and a strong gospel focus, and the lack of musical accompaniment makes "Hold to His Hand" and "Search Me" into Como songs. That's beautiful, but the presentation runs the risk of derailing the collective feel of the album. Instead, it merely reveals another approach to the tradition, part of a conversation happening not within a song or a sequence, but across Solstice.

Finding highlights across a collaboration this steady presents a problem. Russell's tone on opening "Superlover" makes for a perfect start, but it's the harmonies that help define what this album is to be. Thomas at one moment sounds the most country of anyone but then turns to an R&B sound. Likewise, Helm doesn't leave those deep roots of hers, but "Sing to Me" has as much to do with pop balladry as anything, while still fitting the aesthetic of the collection.

The musicians stay flexible amid changing orchestration, discovering whether a fife is needed or not, and making sure a folk song gets different treatment than the blues. The whole recording – as intended – sounds more polished than a group of friends merely playing while the tape rolls. The vibe changes enough that it's not just a bunch of talent at a cookout. It stays consistent enough that it does feel like a photo album of only one vacation. Dickinson and the Sisters pin down a particular moment as part of a more significant look at roots music not as an individual endeavor, but as a collective enterprise. ~Justin Cober-Lake

Solstice

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Colin Linden & Luther Dickinson With The Tennessee Valentines - Amour

Size: 103,1 MB
Time: 44:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2019
Styles: Electric/Acoustic Blues, Blues Folk
Art: Front

01. Careless Love (Instrumental) (3:32)
02. Don't Let Go (Feat. Rachael Davis, Ruby Amanfu) (5:39)
03. Honest I Do (Feat. Rachael Davis) (4:01)
04. Careless Love (Feat. Rachael Davis) (4:56)
05. Crazy Arms (Feat. Rachael Davis, Sam Palladio) (5:44)
06. For The Good Times (Feat. Ruby Amanfu) (7:04)
07. Lover Please (Feat. Rachael Davis, Billy Swan) (3:21)
08. What Am I Living For (Feat. Ruby Amanfu) (3:56)
09. Dearest Darling (3:30)
10. Forget To Remember To Forget (Feat. Jonathan Jackson) (2:46)

Guitarists Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars and Colin Linden of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings have joined forces for a new joint project, Amour. They are backed by “The Tennessee Valentines,” with Dominic Davis on bass, Brian Owings on drums, Fats Kaplin on violin and accordion, and Kevin McEndree on keyboards.

Linden produced the album, whose tracks touch on a wide range of genres while still serving as an Americana record. Dickinson and Linden also recruited a handful of Nashville talent for the guest vocals, including Billy Swan, Rachael Davis, Ruby Amanfu, Sam Palladio, and Jonathan Jackson.

Amour

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Various - Memphis Rent Party

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:36
Size: 111.3 MB
Styles: R&B, Memphis blues, Hill Country blues
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. Jerry McGill - Desperados Waiting For A Train
[3:55] 2. Luther Dickerson - Chevrolet
[4:18] 3. Junior Kimbrough - All Night Long
[5:05] 4. Furry Lewis - Why Don't You Come Home Blues
[7:11] 5. Calvin Newborn - Frame For The Blues
[3:00] 6. Alex Chilton - Johnny Too Bad
[2:54] 7. Jerry Lee Lewis - Harbor Lights
[4:42] 8. The Fieldstones - Little Bluebird
[2:38] 9. The Panther Burns - Drop Your Mask
[2:02] 10. Mose Vinson - Same Things On My Mind
[2:32] 11. Charlie Feathers - Defrost Your Heart
[6:05] 12. Jim Dickinson - I'd Love To Be A Hippie

The compilation illustrates the eclectic scope of Bluff City music, from Furry Lewis and Junior Kimbrough to Alex Chilton, Jim Dickinson and the Panther Burns. Memphis is about individualism, about distinct characters making “it” different. The best music out of Memphis — be it deep blues, early rocking Elvis, Stax soul, indie 1990s Grifters, or today’s Julien Baker or North Mississippi Allstars — forged its own sound. The Memphis aesthetic is to not sound like hits, but to sound different. Sometimes “different” hits. This soundtrack is a great companion to Memphis Rent Party, the latest book by Robert Gordon,

Memphis Rent Party mc
Memphis Rent Party zippy

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David Hidalgo, Luther Dickinson, Mato Nanji - 3 Skulls And The Truth

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:00
Size: 148.8 MB
Styles: Roots rock, Electric blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:38] 1. Have My Way With You
[4:19] 2. I'm A Fool
[5:56] 3. Make It Right
[4:25] 4. Known Round Here
[5:44] 5. Coming Home
[4:02] 6. All I Know
[5:51] 7. The Worldly And The Divine
[6:14] 8. Still Looking
[5:33] 9. Cold As Hell
[4:44] 10. The Truth Ain't What It Seems
[5:22] 11. Woke Up Alone
[6:06] 12. Natural Comb

Luther Dickinson has been a busy man in 2012. This is the fourth recording he's either fronted or been a prime collaborator in during the calendar year. In May he released his own solo offering, Hambone's Meditations, a second offering with the South Memphis String Band, and Go On Now, You Can't Stay Here by his new band the Wandering on the same day. 3 Skulls and the Truth, with Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Indigenous founder and lead guitarist Mato Nanji, will be the one that most appeals to the wild, raucous sounds of Dickinson's prime unit, the North Mississippi Allstars. These three lead guitar players, backed by the rhythm section of drummer Jeff Martin and bassist Steve Evans, lay down 12 raw blues-based rock tunes. Produced by Mike Varney, 3 Skulls and the Truth is a hot mess. The sound is raw nasty, loose, and loud; it seems to draw inspiration from the nasty boogie of the early '70s -- particularly the one evangelized by ZZ Top. The material from Varney, Nanji, and Dickinson was all written for this date. The guitarists freely interact, strut their stuff, and keep things tight. This trio is made up of axe monsters; they understand roots rock as a dynamic -- not a revivalist -- force, where it meets the blues. The tunes are not merely jams; they're well-constructed songs with bridges, clever lyrics, and loads of six-string heat. Check the primitive blues stomp of "Have My Way with You," which opens the date. Dickinson's vocal blues moan, a stomping foot, and two guitars move back and forth before the band kicks in and the track becomes what might have been an outtake from Tres Hombres. "All I Know," with its swaggering roots boogie, is topped by soulful vocals by Nanji and Hidalgo, punctuated by two punchy guitars and underscored by Dickinson's slide. On "The Worldly and the Divine," blues, hard rock, and tripped-out Hendrixian psych seamlessly intertwine as the track nearly sprawls out of control. "The Truth Ain't What It Seems" charges out of the gate before winding itself in a labyrinth with a skittering set of funky breaks by Martin that somehow anchors the frontline riff and changes. There's a funky undertone that gets obliterated by the wailing exchange of fills by the principals. Likewise, closer "Natural Comb," a slow, churning blues, allows the guitarists not merely solos, but the ability to inform the tune's melody with all manner of fills. The humorous lyric keeps it all grounded. 3 Skulls and the Truth, which may be the rock party album of the year, proves that the blues and boogie are still very much alive as creative endeavors, and hopefully asserts that that this trio of slingers will team up again -- and soon. ~Thom Jurek

3 Skulls And The Truth mc
3 Skulls And The Truth zippy

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Various - God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:29
Size: 95.0 MB
Styles: Roots, Gospel/Blues
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Tom Waits - The Soul Of A Man
[3:54] 2. Lucinda Williams - It's Nobody's Fault But Mine
[3:09] 3. Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi - Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning
[4:14] 4. Cowboy Junkies - Jesus Is Coming Soon
[4:40] 5. The Blind Boys Of Alabama - Mother's Children Have A Hard Time
[3:16] 6. Sinead O'connor - Trouble Will Soon Be Over
[3:51] 7. Luther Dickinson - Bye And Bye I'm Going To See The King
[4:21] 8. Lucinda Williams - God Don't Never Change
[2:47] 9. Tom Waits - John The Revelator
[3:54] 10. Maria Mckee - Let Your Light Shine On Me
[3:52] 11. Rickie Lee Jones - Dark Was The Night, Cold Was The Ground

A stunning collection of artists and performances celebrate the timeless music of legendary gospel bluesman Blind Willie Johnson. From Derek Trucks’ and Susan Tedeschi’s reverent reading of Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning to Lucinda Williams’ slide guitar-fueled lament in Nobody’s Fault But Mine, from Luther Dickinson’s spirited take on Bye And Bye I’m Going To See The King (with The Rising Star Fife & Drum Band) to Tom Waits’ virtual embodiment of Johnson himself on The Soul Of A Man and John The Revelator, this record is packed with incomparable recordings that speak as much to the greatness of the performers as they do the enduring legacy of Blind Willie Johnson.

God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson mc
God Don't Never Change: The Songs Of Blind Willie Johnson zippy

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Cody Dickinson - Leeway For The Freeway

Size: 100,2 MB
Time: 35:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Blues Rock
Art: Front

01. Equinox Blues (3:14)
02. Boomers Story (Feat. Luther Dickinson) (4:34)
03. Leeway For The Freeway (Feat. Duane Betts) (3:41)
04. Heartache And Pain (2:19)
05. Been To The Mountaintop (3:41)
06. Wing And A Prayer (Feat. Robert Randolph) (2:36)
07. Stranger (Feat. John Medeski & Sharisse Norman) (3:37)
08. Across The Borderline (3:16)
09. Johnny B. Goode (2:35)
10. The Party Is Over (Feat. Sharisse Norman) (5:50)

North Mississippi Allstars founding member Cody Dickinson has today released his debut solo album, Leeway For The Freeway.

Leeway For The Freeway was produced by Dickinson’s mother – and wife of the late great producer/musician/songwriter, Jim Dickinson – Mary Lindsay Dickinson while she recovered from knee replacement surgery at his Mississippi home.

The album’s title track is its first single and features guitar work from Duane Betts and is said to be a love letter to the road inspired by Gregg Allman. Leeway For The Freeway also contains guest appearances from some of Cody’s longtime collaborators including Robert Randolph, John Medeski and Sharisse Norman as well as his brother Luther Dickinson. There’s also a light-hearted, dubstep-inspired (!) spin on “Johnny B. Goode.”

MC
Ziddu

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Luther Dickinson - Blues & Ballads: A Folksinger’s Songbook Vol. I & II

Size: 172,3 MB
Time: 73:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Acoustic Blues Folk
Art: Front

01. Hurry Up Sunrise (3:52)
02. Up Over Yonder (3:18)
03. Bang Bang Lulu (3:41)
04. Moonshine (4:30)
05. Jackson (3:53)
06. Mean Ol' Wind Died Down (3:58)
07. How I Wish My Train Would Come (4:29)
08. Ain't No Grave (3:49)
09. Let It Roll (4:01)
10. My Leavin' (2:22)
11. Horseshoe (Reprise) (3:00)
12. Highwater (Soldier) (3:04)
13. And It Hurts (3:56)
14. Storm (4:35)
15. Mojo, Mojo (3:31)
16. Ol’ Cannonball (2:42)
17. Devilment (3:20)
18. Blow Out (1:57)
19. Mayor Langford Birmingham Blues (2:46)
20. Shake (Yo Mama) (3:17)
21. Horseshoe (3:44)

This acoustic collection of songs interpreted simply, recorded live, solo or with a small group of friends reflects my relationship between music, songs, the written word and legacy. Blues & Ballads celebrates the American oral tradition of blues and folk songs, not only being passed down and evolving but being transcribed (the original recording technique) and entered into the discipline of written sheet music and songbooks.

The songs themselves tell the story of the lad growing up in modern day rural south amongst first generation Memphis rock ‘n rolling, song collecting, folk bohemians, disapproving pre-rock ‘n roll holy rollers, and citified punk rockers and modern day blues giants, experiencing the miracle that was Fat Possum Records and Hill Country Blues in the 90s, singing his song in a language near extinction, barely pre-internet, when community, word of mouth, firsthand experience, books, records and art still ruled. When the elders began passing on the lad realized that his family, friends and heroes should be made into folk heroes and their vernacular and stories should be sung.

The CD package contains my handwritten lyrics representing the songwriter’s notebook and the creative process that I love.

The vinyl art includes my dream come true – my songbook, a printed collection of my tunes (my life), transcribed and made to look legitimate. The limited pressing makes the legitimacy fleeting and as it should be: rare and underground. I represent the Memphis underground and the mid-south region’s music. This art is not for the masses. It is meant to wither and fade and then rise from the ashes again and again, evolving and mutating.

Is it too late to tell your and your community’s tales thru the vinyl groove and the block lettered, mimeographed page? Never! So be it through text messaged fluency of thumb and mp3-ed micro speakers, the lives and legends of modern day folk music heroes will live on and the spirit of American roots rock ‘ n roll will shout to the man, the masses, and disposable pop culture, “Fuck off. Even in death, the art lives on.” – Luther Dickinson

Blues & Ballads

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Luther Dickinson - Rock 'n Roll Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 34:33
Size: 79.1 MB
Styles: Country blues
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:53] 1. Vandalize
[3:19] 2. Blood 'n Guts
[3:07] 3. Yard Man
[3:18] 4. Goin' Country
[5:18] 5. Mojo, Mojo
[2:47] 6. Rock 'n Roll Blues
[2:44] 7. Bar Band
[4:15] 8. Stone's Throw
[3:20] 9. Some Ol' Day
[3:28] 10. Karmic Debt

In 2012, Luther Dickinson released four albums; among them was the instrumental acoustic record Hambone's Meditations -- his first proper solo album apart from the North Mississippi All-Stars. It was nominated for a Grammy. Rock 'n Roll Blues is, in a way, an extension of that record. It's a collection of ten songs that Dickinson claims didn't fit on his other records. Altogether they create a loose, autobiographical song cycle about a life spent making music. It's played by a tight, all-acoustic band in a relaxed backporch manner. Dickinson's voice and guitar are supported by Amy LaVere's upright bass, Sharde Thomas' drums and fife, and second drummer Lightnin' Malcolm. Everybody sings backup. The album unfolds like a road map through the backwoods of Dickinson's life. "Blood 'n Guts" is an easy-grooving yet cautionary country Americana number with shuffling snares and tom-toms. "Yard Man" is a swinging country blues with stinging acoustic guitar; the ghostly harmonies and hypnotic drums on "Goin' Country" evoke both Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. Woven through all of these tunes are senses, impressions, humorous asides, hard luck, the influences of forebears and musical ancestors, joy, grief, etc., all delivered by a wiseacre guitar-slinging poet whose insight is keen enough to keep his lyrics free of maudlin bullshit. In the title and "Bar Band," tender Mississippi open-field melodies counter the poignant lyrics. "Mojo, Mojo" is a sweet country blues girded by Thomas' fife, LaVere's bass vamp, tight tom-toms and snares, and lilting harmonies. This is the sound of Dickinson paying tribute to one of his prime influences, Thomas' grandfather Othar Turner. John Fahey's earthy American Primitive fuels "Stone's Throw," whose lyrics contains genuine irony. "Some Ol' Day" is ushered in by drums and bass, then riven with a distorted acoustic guitar to become a genuine hoodoo rocker. Closer "Karmic Debt" is an old-timey country waltz; its title disguising its romantic nature (a hymn of gratitude to a spouse), but there's enough kickdrum and razor-sharp fingerpicking to push through the skin and into the bone. Though Rock 'n Roll Blues is autobiographical in nature, it's actually much bigger. Dickinson goes outside himself as music evokes the spirits of earlier generations and the earth that bore them. ~Thom Jurek

Rock 'n Roll Blues mc
Rock 'n Roll Blues zippy

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