Although their earliest musical interests were in punk rock, when you grow up with the legacy of brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, a turn towards the blues is probably inevitable. The brothers are the sons of famed Memphis producer and musician Jim Dickinson, a near-legendary cult figure who has played with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Aretha Franklin, and produced albums by Big Star, the Replacements, and other artists in the rock, soul, blues and reggae genres.
North Mississippi Allstars - Early Days
Guitarist Luther and drummer Cody formed the North Mississippi Allstars in 1996 with their friend, bassist Chris Chew. Growing up in the Northern Mississippi Hill Country region, the three friends were influenced by the country-blues of artists like R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, a sound that factored into the band's earliest recordings. Throwing in a dose of guitar-driven rock and Memphis soul, the trio took on a jam-band work ethic and combined it with an earthy, organic blues-rock sound.
At Home In Hernando
Hernando is the fifth North Mississippi Allstars studio album, and the trio's first for their own independent Songs of the South Records label. Named after their Mississippi hometown, Hernando follows up on the gradual evolution of 2005's Electric Blue Watermelon towards a raw, minimalist blues-rock sound. Delivering a strong set of songs and performances, Hernando runs the stylistic gamut from sparse country-blues to electrified funk and 1960s-styled blues-rock. The material features Luther Dickinson's brilliant slide-guitar playing, the superb Cody-Chris rhythm section, and a few guest vocals from James "Jimbo" Mathus.
"Shake" kicks off Hernando with a taut lead build upon a single-note bass-string foundation, swooning into a strutting blues-rock romp with vocals courtesy of Mr. Mathus; the song is equal parts Stax soul and modal Mississippi Hill Country blues. "Keep The Devil Down" is a throwback to the hallowed days of late-1960s British blues-rock, brother Luther sounding like young Clapton, ripping off a downright nasty lead while brother Cody does his best Ginger Baker impression, delivering a solid solo tucked in-between pounding drumbeats and escalating rhythms.
Hernando's Musical Blueprint
Much of the rest of Hernando follows a similar musical blueprint, mixing just enough R.L. Burnside and Hill Country vibe with blustery, hard-edged rock to satisfy fans of either style of the blues. "Soldier" is a 180-proof shot of fuzz-toned grunge with a screaming six-string solo while "Mizzip" is an upbeat, boisterous rocker with pop overtones.
A cover of Champion Jack Dupree's "I'd Love To Be A Hippy" features smoky vocals from Chris Chew and piano from guest bluesman "East Memphis Slim" (i.e. Daddy Dickinson). "Take Yo Time, Rodney" includes an extended instrumental break that showcases the band's musical talents, and the atmospheric "Long Way From Home" is an introspective, moody, down-tempo tune, the kind of born-in-the-1970s song that emerged when artists seeped in the blues began adding jazzy textures to their rock landscapes.
The Reverend's Bottom Line
Although purists may be put off by the band's heavy flirtation with blues-rock, there's a lot to like on Hernando for both existing North Mississippi Allstars fans and those whose tastes runs towards the bluesier end of the rock & roll spectrum. All three band members are talented musicians and, creatively, they have one foot in the past while still keeping an eye on the horizon (Songs of the South).
