Mississippi MacDonald

Slim Pickin

Another Planet Music

Mississippi MacDonald, born Oliver MacDonald, first picked up the guitar as a schoolboy during the heyday of grunge and Britpop. While his peers were dreaming of Nirvana or Oasis, his ears were tuned to his parents’ record collection, filled with B.B. King, Al Green, and the great American blues and soul artists. He admits he never fantasized about fronting a Britpop band; instead, he dreamed of walking into the Chicago clubs where Muddy Waters once played.

MacDonald immersed himself in the blues by studying the “three Kings”—B.B., Albert, and Freddie—as well as Albert Collins. He also absorbed the Southern soul of singers like Z.Z. Hill and O.V. Wright, whose voices carried the grit and inflection of the blues. Patient and persistent, Mac took the long road, balancing family life while quietly pressing his own recordings and building a reputation as a suburban bluesman. After the pandemic lockdown, he signed with Another Planet Music and finally began booking shows beyond his local circuit. His 2021 debut album, Do Right, Say Right, drew praise from critics across the U.K., Europe, and the U.S. His guest appearance on U.S. harp player Steve Bailey’s tribute album Crazy About You: A Tribute to Sonny Boy Williamson proved he could hold his own on an international stage. Follow-up albums Heavy State Loving Blues and I Got What You Need cemented his reputation as one of the most exciting British blues guitarists of his generation—and a songwriter of real depth.

On Heavy State Loving Blues, MacDonald collaborated with veteran Memphis soul singer Vanesse Thomas, the youngest daughter of Rufus Thomas. That connection led him to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, where he recorded with Freddie King’s brother, bassist Benny Turner. While in Memphis, he met Boo Mitchell of Royal Studios, son of the legendary Willie Mitchell, who produced hits for Al Green, Otis Clay, Ann Peebles, and O.V. Wright. The meeting opened the door for MacDonald to record with the Hi Rhythm Section and to share the stage with the Take Me To The River All-Stars, alongside Carla Thomas, William Bell, Taj Mahal, and Eric Gales.

Now, with three UK Blues Awards to his name, MacDonald returns with Slim Pickin’, an album that has already reached #1 on the Roots Music Report’s Acoustic Blues chart. According to RMR, “all ten tracks represent 21st century blues of the highest order.” On this recording, MacDonald handles guitar and vocals, joined by producer Phil Dearing (keys, guitar, percussion) and Brent Cundall (bass). Dearing also mixed and mastered the album at I. Sound London.

The album opens with a reworking of “Trouble Doing The Right Thing,” written by Zachery Logan and first recorded by MacDonald in 2023. He sings with weary honesty: “Wanna stay out late, one more drink, I’m in trouble doing the right thing…find me up in the juke joint, burn it down…I’m in trouble doing the right thing.”

The title track, “Slim Pickin’,” is a MacDonald original, carried by his soulful vocal phrasing: “good things, ain’t no good…I spend all my time, talkin’ to you, ain’t that the truth, just run it down…ain’t that the truth…one more I wish you would…ain’t that the truth.”

Another highlight is the reworked “My Bad Attitude,” where Mac confesses: “people talk about my bad attitude…some people say I’m out of line…I was wrong, well I’m sorry…you tell me nothin’ at all, tell me when I should let go.”

“I’m Sorry,” another original, finds him at his most vulnerable: “about yesterday when I disappointed you…if I get time I’ll make it right…if I can’t make it right, you better find another way, what I did, I did for you.”

Mac tips his hat to tradition with a version of “Statesboro Blues,” Blind Willie McTell’s 1928 classic. His delivery echoes the raw spirit of the original: “Little mama, turn your lamps down low, all the time I had them Statesboro blues, I looked over and my baby had them too…”

“Got To Get To Walkin’” is a driving MacDonald original, fueled by urgency: “got to find my good thing, get my clothes and I’m gone…I got to get to walkin’, I got to get to Memphis.”

He pays homage to James Oden with a somber reading of the 1941 standard “Goin’ Down Slow”: “last night I had my fun…I want someone to write to my mother, I want you to tell her about my sins…”

Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s gospel-blues anthem “Strange Things Happening Every Day” gets a bold reworking, with MacDonald testifying: “we hear church people say, we are in this holy war, strange things happening every day…yes they are.”

His original “Sad Songs” is a standout, drenched in melancholy: “put another record on, people got their 45s, I like those sad songs every time, you up and left and didn’t tell me why…sad songs will tell me every time.”

The album closes with Keb’ Mo’s 1996 ballad “You Can Love Yourself.” MacDonald delivers it with understated grace: “when nobody loves you and you feel like dust on an empty shelf, remember you can love yourself.”

Reflecting on his craft, MacDonald says: “The greats sing in a way that conveys the song as if a friend was telling you their trials and tribulations. They express themselves with real power yet remain eloquent and soulful. The same is true for guitarists—I value the stories you can tell, not just the riffs you can play.”

With Slim Pickin’, Mississippi MacDonald once again proves he is not just a student of the blues but a worthy torchbearer for its future. This is an album that belongs in the collection of anyone who believes the blues still matters.

Richard Ludmerer

Subscribe to Our Newsletter