Page 28 - BiTS_11_NOVEMBER_2020

R E V I E W S

New Moon Jelly Roll—Freedom Rockers—Stony Plain ASIN :
B08CG4YCWJ
This album was recorded in pianist Jim Dickinson's Zebra Ranch
Recording Studio in Coldwater, Mississippi over a couple of late
nights way back in 2008 and features Jim, his sons Luther (guitar
& mandolin) and Cody (drums), plus Charlie Musselwhite (harp &
vocals), Alvin Youngblood Hart (guitar & vocals) and Jimbo Mathus
(bass & vocals). It features a mix of originals like Charlie
Musselwhite's opener 'Blues Why You Worry Me?' together with
assorted covers, including Alvin Youngblood Hart's take on
Hendrix's 'Stone Free'. It is also nice to hear Jim Dickinson (who
died the following year) singing on a couple of cuts - the
traditional blues 'Come On Down to My House' and Wilbert Harrison's 'Let’s Work Together'.

Although the playing is quite loose it is also focussed, there is no self-indulgent soloing, everything
is directed towards the song rather than the individuals but you can clearly hear that all those
involved are really enjoying themselves. Take 'Strange Land' - (has Charlie Musselwhite ever
sounded better?) - with his swinging vocals and powerful harp playing over Cody's chugging drums
and Luther's superb guitar playing and 'Shake It and Break It' features Jimbo Mathus but Jim's
piano drives this melodic rocker. And Alvin's plaintive version of The Mississippi Sheiks' country

blues 'Stop and Listen Blues' is a lovely way to round off the album. Apparently a volume two is to
be released in 2021 - let’s hope it is as good as this record.

Graham Harrison

Bobby Rush—Rawer Than Raw—Deep Rush ASIN :
B08C9CPP6H

Listening to this album it's hard to believe that Bobby is 86, both
his singing and his playing are still very powerful despite (or
maybe because of) his many years touring on the Chitlin' Circuit
and recently surviving a bout of Covid-19. The album is a follow-
up to his 2007 acoustic album 'Raw' and features just Bobby
playing guitar and harp to salute his favourite artists including
Skip James, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson
II and Elmore James, it was recorded over several years with
engineer and executive producer Randy Everett.

We begin with a charming, relaxed Rush original blues 'Down in Mississippi' a homage to his
adopted state, then it’s 'Hard Times' a take on Skip James' 'Hard Time Killing Floor Blues', then it’s
another original 'Let Me In Your House', which like the following version of Wolf's 'Smokestack
Lightning' is done 'trance blues' style. Bobby follows this with another Howlin’ Wolf song 'Shake It
for Me' which shouldn't really work as an acoustic song but Bobby pulls it off, and without trying to
impersonate Wolf's vocals. In the 50s Bobby was a contemporary in Chicago with Wolf, Muddy,
Sonny Boy and Elmore James (although he was not quite as successful) and he also tackles Muddy's
'Honey Bee, Sail On', Sonny Boy's 'Don’t Start Me Talkin' and Elmore's 'Dust My Broom', again
Bobby doesn't try to replicate these artists' performances but performs the songs in his own style.