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However, Keith also throws in some more unusual songs - ‘Sleep Baby Sleep’ is a
country song by the singing brakeman Jimmie Rodgers (complete with yodelling!)
and ‘Long Gone from Kentucky’ is a more obscure blues by Little Hat Jones. ‘Who

Pumped the Wind in My Doughnut’ is a ragtime nonsense song from Washboard
Sam, while ‘Mother’s Last Words to Her Son’ is a lovely sentimental song from
Washington Phillips and we check out with ‘There Will Be a Happy Meeting’ a

beautiful instrumental from the Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence. Keith is a
wonderful guitarist - both on slide and picking - who isn’t just content to replicate

the classic country blues, his version of ‘Nobody’s Fault but Mine’ is obviously based
on Johnson’s original. but is very much Keith’s own take and, while I did enjoy
hearing these country blues bangers, for me the highlights here are the other related
roots songs.

Graham Harrison

Early James—Medium Raw—Easy Eye Sound

ASIN:B0DHD9W85Z

This the third album by Early James (Fredrick James
Mullis Jr.) was going to be recorded like its

predecessors in the Easy Eye studios in Nashville
but then producer Dan Auerbach switched
proceedings to Buddy Jackson’s house ‘Honky
Chateau’ to try to get the sound of old field

recordings by Lightnin’ Hopkins, Fred McDowell
etc.

They recorded the album on an old refurbished
valve console that had been built by Rick Hall for his Memphis Fame Studios, with
James (vocals, guitar), Adrian Marmolejo (bass) and Jeff Clemens (drums) all in

separate rooms. Opener ‘Steely Knives’ and ‘Nothing Surprises Me Anymore’ are
both played on picked acoustic guitars with minimal bass and drums with the latter
having an almost gypsy jazz guitar break and James’ husky vocals. The moody ‘Tinfoil

Hat’ has reverb-y electric guitar, with the rhythm section mixed up higher and ‘Go
Down Swinging’ again has a gypsy jazz vibe, while ‘Rag Doll’ uses electric guitar for
an almost rockabilly sound.

‘Gravy Train’ is a lovely subtle rocker with delicious light-as-a-feather guitar playing
contrasting with the rasping vocals, ‘I Could Just Die Right Now’ is a poignant blues
ballad and ‘Unspeakable Thing’ features more reverb-heavy electric guitar, while

‘Beauty Queen’ reverts to picked acoustic. ‘Dig to China’ is a moody blues with slide
guitar that was on his debut EP and we check out with the catchy ‘I Got a Problem’.

You couldn’t really claim that this record is blues but it is certainly very bluesy in

places and does have a pleasing raw, rough and ready sound and obviously with Dan
Auerbach’s (Black Keys) and Jeff Clemens’ (G. Love and Special Sauce) involvement