Don Nix & Friends – Going Down: The Songs Of Don Nix
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Posted On January 1, 2003
Don Nix has been the musical equivalent of a supporting actor in a career that has spanned more than 40 years. He played saxophone with the Mar-Keys, one of the first successful acts on Stax Records; produced albums for Freddie King, Albert King and Delaney & Bonnie; and sang at George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh. He made his biggest mark as a soul/blues/rock songwriter for such artists as the aforementioned Kings, Tracy Nelson, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Jerry Garcia and J.J. Cale.
Going Down: The Songs Of Don Nix gives him the opportunity to revisit his old songs and present some new ones, with the help of a stellar supporting cast that includes Steve Cropper, Dan Penn, Tony Joe White, Bonnie Bramlett and Billy Lee Riley. At 61, Nix shows his voice has not lost its edge on the title track, a signature song for blues titan Freddy King. “Lucinda” recalls the spirit of a 1950s Little Richard rocker, while “Going Back To Iuka” has a swampy feel with White on lead guitar and Riley on lead vocals.
Penn and Bramlett, augmented by Cropper on lead guitar, team up on “Same Old Blues” and “Like A Road Leading Home”, a pair of soul ballads that recall the heyday of Stax (the latter co-written by Penn). Producer Jon Tiven and Nix keep the proceedings loose and easygoing, like old friends renewing acquaintances.
