Duwayne Burnside (Featuring Cody & Luther Dickinson and Jimbo Mathus)

Red Rooster

Lucky 13 Records

Born into the sacred red clay of Mississippi’s Hill Country, Duwayne Burnside was destined for the blues. The son of legendary Hill Country bluesman R.L. Burnside, Duwayne grew up surrounded by music and masters. At just ten years old, he was already on drums with his father’s family band, the Sound Machine Groove, learning the rhythms that would shape his life.

As a young man, he played with his neighbor and mentor Junior Kimbrough and the Soul Blues Boys, absorbing the hypnotic Hill Country sound firsthand. He quickly graduated to guitar, bass, and vocals, and would go on to record with his father for High Water and Fat Possum Records before striking out on his own.

In his late teens, Duwayne left Holly Springs, Mississippi, for nearby Memphis, where he honed his craft alongside some of the blues’ biggest names — including Albert King, Little Jimmy King, B.B. King, and Bobby “Blue” Bland. That experience, blending traditional Mississippi grit with Memphis soul, became the foundation of his style.

From 2001 to 2004, Duwayne joined The North Mississippi Allstars, a natural fit given his long friendship and musical history with Cody and Luther Dickinson. He also returns as a featured performer on the Allstars’ 2025 album Still Shakin’.

To date, Duwayne has released three independent solo albums: Live From The Mint (1998), Under Pressure (2005) — a Blues Music Award nominee — and Acoustic Burnside (2022), which also received a BMA nomination. Along the way, he opened his own juke joint, the Burnside Bar & Grill, in Holly Springs — carrying forward the family’s storied legacy of keeping the blues alive where it was born.

Now, with Red Rooster, Burnside comes full circle. Backed by Cody and Luther Dickinson and Jimbo Mathus (founder and frontman of Squirrel Nut Zippers), he delivers a raw, funky, and deeply soulful album that captures both his roots and his evolution.

The album kicks off with “Nightmare,” a haunting, hypnotic groove steeped in Hill Country swagger. Duwayne sings, “You’re a nightmare just for me, oh Lord only knows… I went home last night and sat down on my bed and cried,” his voice drenched in pain and grit. It’s a dark, mesmerizing opener that sets the tone for the journey ahead.

Next comes “Circle in the Sky,” a reimagining of a North Mississippi Allstars track. Duwayne gives it his own fire, with tight rhythmic interplay and guitar lines that shimmer and bite. The Hendrix influence is clear in both tone and phrasing, but the spirit is pure Burnside — earthy, unfiltered, alive.

The funk kicks up on “Somebody Done Stole My Girl,” one of several Burnside originals, as he shouts, “Somebody done stole my little girl!” The groove is deep and elastic, with a rhythm section that swings like a juke joint on Saturday night.

“Things Ain’t Going My Way” keeps the energy flowing, its blues-rock riffs cutting through the mix as Duwayne confesses, “I walked around Mississippi town… I can’t find my babe, things ain’t going my way.” The guitar work again nods to Hendrix but stays rooted in the raw Hill Country feel that defines Burnside’s lineage.

On “Talk Sweet to Me,” written by Jimbo Mathus, Duwayne shifts into soulful plea mode: “Don’t treat me mean, I can’t argue with you no more, all I want you to do, baby, is talk sweet to me.” His delivery is pure Southern soul — tender, pleading, and real.

“Tribute” is one of the album’s emotional highlights. Over a slow, heavy groove, Duwayne sings: “I will never forget the way you played the blues, Junior Kimbrough… I will never forget my father, the way you played the blues.” It’s both elegy and celebration — a son honoring the giants who shaped him.

On “Crazy ’Bout You,” Duwayne channels his inner soul man, crooning, “I don’t care what people say, I don’t care what they do, you look good to me, I’m crazy ’bout you.” It’s smooth, funky, and infectious.

“King,” co-written with Cody Dickinson, brings a modern edge to the mix, pairing rhythmic raps and swaggering guitar licks that merge hip-hop attitude with Delta blues electricity — a bold nod to where the blues is headed, not just where it’s been.

The album takes a soulful detour with “Down and Out,” a Bobby Womack classic. Duwayne’s voice soars over the track as he cries, “Nobody wants you when you’re down and out.” It’s one of the most heartfelt performances on the album — both timeless and intensely personal.

The closer, “Mississippi Here I Come,” is a joyous homecoming anthem. After a long instrumental intro, Duwayne sings, “Cornbread, black-eyed peas, I’m going back to Mississippi, here I come.” It’s a victory lap — a declaration of roots reclaimed and pride restored.

Nearly two decades in the making, Red Rooster is soaked in Hill Country air and Mississippi soul. It’s a powerful fusion of tradition and evolution — the deep pulse of the Delta meeting the modern grit of Memphis.

Duwayne Burnside has always been a bridge between generations — between the Hill Country of R.L. and Junior and the modern blues of the Allstars era. With Red Rooster, he proves that the blues isn’t just alive — it’s still kicking, sweating, and ready for the next chapter.

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor / Making A Scene

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