|  By
Cornbread
Jas. Mathus & Knockdown South –
Old School Hot Wings
{2006 – 219 Records}
James
(Jimbo) Mathus, the side-man of legendary Chicago
Blues Great, Buddy Guy appeared on Buddy’s
2001 Grammy Nominee, Sweet Tea and 2004 Grammy Nominee,
Blues Singer.
Old
School Hot Wings is a Country Blues CD and a darn
good recording! Jimbo’s CD will take you back
to his home of Mississippi, to a simpler time when
mountain men would make their own instruments. Listenin’
to it took me back to the Delta, sittin’ round
the porch drinkin’ a lemonade from a mason
jar with a bit of my favorite Tennessee black label
added for flavor. Note: not that I’ve ever
done that, but if I did I imagine that’s what
it would be like. Old School Hot Wings adds elements
of cowboy Gene Autry and highwayman Johnny Cash.
This CD is “roots” as it gets.
Instruments
used on this recording: guitar, kazoo, bass, mandolin,
dobro, tub, snare, piano, tuba, typewriter, train
whistle, washboard, lap steel guitar, fiddle, banjo
and drums.
The
tracks are:
1. Voice of a Pork Chop
2. Ben Dewberry’s Final Run
3. Peaches
4. Tappin’ That Thing
5. Bullfrog Blues
6. Old Rugged Cross
7. Carrier Line
8. Dixie
9. Torture Blues
10. Wouldn’t Treat A Dog
11. No Monkey Business
12. Bright Sunny South
Total
Time 50:51.
 Jimbo
Mathus Knockdown South
{2004 – Knock Down South Records}
I was lucky enough to see
Jimbo open for Buddy Guy at the The Roberts Orpheum
Theater 9/9/05. I was easily impressed with this
casual, guitar-slingin’ blues man. He played
an old Gibson with his dog Sue on the stage. His
style was electric delta with southern soulful vocals.
Every song provided an opportunity for a guitar
solo.
The tracks are:
1. Crazy Bout You
2. Hypmotized
3. Let Me Be Your Rocker
4. Boogie Music
5. Skateland Baby
6. Mule Plow Line
7. Loose Diamonds
8. Be That Way
9. State Line Women
10. Rolling Like A Log
11. Loving Arms
12. Asked My Captain
Total Time 52:38.
This
CD has hints of classic/psychedelic rock –
and I really like it! Of the two CD’s I preferred
Knockdown South, for the most part it was almost
Jimi Hendrix like, song 5 was more like Bob Dylan
and #6 sounded like Cream – Hendrix, Dylan
and Cream, how’s that for a combination. Visit
Jimbo on the web at www.jamesmathus.com.
Ciao'
for now, peace.
Peter 'Cornbread' Cohen,
CBP
~
Cornbread@STLBlues.net ~
|
