Bucky Lindsey may be best-known to those who scan songwriting credits on albums. His songs have been recorded by George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Etta James and Ruth Brown. With Dan Penn and Carson Whitsett, he co-wrote the title track of Don’t Give Up On Me, Solomon Burke’s recent Grammy-winning CD. Lindsey, who also played bass in touring bands for Ray Price and Little Jimmy Dickens, makes a belated and promising debut as a solo artist at age 60 with Back Bay Blues.
Mixing blues, country and soul, the album is a reflection of the deep south where Lindsey grew up. “Gros Vent”, a French phrase meaning “big wind”, is based on a childhood memory of surviving a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. He co-wrote the song with Cajun accordionist Jo-el Sonnier and Larry Shell. Lindsey’s singing invites comparisons to Tony Joe White and Sleepy LaBeef; his voice that seems to emanate from deep within on “Hog Killin’ Time”.
Lindsey co-wrote eleven of the twelve songs on the album, and they reflect the country and blues sounds he heard growing up in the 1950s. “Blues For A King” is a heartfelt tribute to B.B. King; “Four Walls”, the album’s lone cover, was a #1 country hit in 1957 for Jim Reeves.
Penn, who produced the album and co-wrote four songs, keeps the sound straightforward and uncluttered, reminiscent of his own recent solo work, in helping Lindsey make the transition from sideman to frontman.