North Mississippi Allstars – Shake Hands With Shorty

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion’s resurrection of Elvis’ pelvic thrust served to remind how sexy the blues can be. Beyond that, watching white guys play the blues can be a painful exercise, with far too many bad hamburgers and wretched versions of “Mustang Sally” being peddled in the name of “keeping the blues alive.”

Conversely, Luther and Cody Dickinson, the sons of legendary Memphis producer icon Jim Dickinson, were raised to appreciate the value of keeping it real. Growing up around their father’s studio, with its steady flow of legends from Alex Chilton to Ry Cooder, filled their young minds with crazy ideas about making music in authentic, honest and innovative ways. Emancipated as teens from their private school east of Memphis, they based themselves in the fertile roots-music scene of the North Mississippi hill country, where they mingled with neighbors such as R.L. Burnside and the late Junior Kimbrough.

Not surprisingly, their band, the North Mississippi All Stars, is steeped in roots and blues music traditions, and their self-produced debut, Shake Hands With Shorty, is a watershed of contemporary blues-rock. Formed in 1996 with Luther on guitar and Cody on drums plus gospel bassist and childhood friend Chris Chew, the All Stars pay homage to Mississippi Fred McDowell, Steppenwolf and the Replacements in a dynamic package that reasserts the relevance of Southern rock.

The album kicks off with “Shake ‘Em On Down”, a deeply funky slide-guitar workout that recalls early ZZ Top’s dangerous boogie, and doesn’t let up. The All Stars work over classics by Burnside, Kimbrough and McDowell with guest musicians including East Memphis Slim, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Othar Turner, the fife and drum master whose acclaimed debut album was produced by Luther Dickinson. Through it all, they prove that the Delta hasn’t dried up yet.