North Mississippi Allstars

Still Shakin’

 New West

North Mississippi Allstars (NMA), helmed by Luther and Cody Dickinson has long been a collective that welcomes contributions from a number of like-minded artists. That concept is on more vivid display than ever before on the band’s twelfth album, one that returns to raw sounds of  Shake Hands with Shorty, released 25 years ago. Most of their releases sound somewhat experimental in nature, leaving some  to find them less than cohesive. Yet, that’s the nature of the Dickinsons. If you’ve attended a live show, you can’t help but be impressed with how they and their bandmates constantly change instruments, a veritable musical chairs. That as much as any points to the restless nature of constantly shifting band. Joey Williams, guitarist for The Blind Boys of Alabama, has been touring with NMA for the past few years and is prominent here as well as touring member Rayfield “Ray Ray” Holloman, who plays pedal steel, bass and bass synth. Yet, true to their mantra they invite a slew of guests that we’ll mention as we proceed.

The mission of the band has always been to embrace the North Mississippi HIll Country sound and merge that with sacred steel and the Dickinson’s bent for punkish, psychedelic jamming. Call it, as they have, Modern Mississippi Music or World Boogie. Yes, Still Shakin’, like so many of their albums is purposely uneven. That’s the attraction as each track offers something different, and in many cases, something new. These are primarily a batch of songs that have long inspired the band, songs they may have played live but never committed to record until now. The album was recorded at the family’s famed Zebra ranch, Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studios, and at the Boulder Theater.

Opener “Preachin’ Blues” is their syncopated take on the Robert Johnson classic with the two brothers on vocals, Luther’s slicing resonator, Holloman’s pedal steel, and Cody’s pulsating kit work. “Stay All Night” is an infectious gospel blues with Joey Williams and Robert Kimbrough, son of Junior KImbrough on vocals. Meanwhile stellar contributions come again from Hollman’s pedal steel and KImbrough’s “cotton patch blues guitar.” The brothers have a history inviting the Norman sisters, Sharisse and Shontelle, to sing with them as they do on the stomping, vintage HIll Country sounding “My Mind is Rambling.” Not surprisingly Williams takes the vocal lead and adds his guitar to the gospel rave-up “Pray for Peace,” with harmonies from the brothers on the choruses. Jojo Herman on vocals and clavinet is the featured guest on the porch-like “K.C Jones Part 2,” which, like many of these tunes, that have foundation in traditional blues, also have amended lyrics, some written spontaneously by Luther. As an indication of the Dickinsons’ wide musical network, Grahame Lesh, son of Phil Lesh, straps on his electric bass.

The title track is a reminder that NMA has not lost the inspiration or the raw, earthy groove from their debut 25 years ago, with the core band of Luther, Cody, Williams, and Hollman carrying on with the Norman sisters on harmonies and longtime colleague Duwayne Burnside, son of Hill  Country icon R.I. Burnside on guitar. Duwayne steps up to the mic for the slide guitar imbued “Poor Boy.”

Williams sings the gospel favorite, “Don’t Let the Devil Ride,” a song that has become the band’s live show closer. Kashiah Hunter adds the slicing Sacred Steel guitar here and on the next three tracks. This core group with Luther on vocals delivers a snappy and swampy take on Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Write Me a Few Lines” before charging into the venerable chestnut “John Henry,” clearly putting their on stamp on each, a more relaxed and raw approach than many who have covered these tunes. “Monomyth (Folk Hero’s Last Ride)’ is an instrumental hymn featuring Hunter’s Sacred Steel. So, even with the guests, there’s no overadornment here, nothing slick, nothing blaring obnoxiously like much of contemporary blues-rock. NMA shows us how to keep it real while putting their own spin on mostly the traditional.

Jim Hynes

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