The North Mississippi Allstars decided to play a very unique acoustic tour. It wasn’t the usual Mississippi foot stomping rockin’ blues, but a mellow country blues that told a story and a history about a time and place much different from here and now. I saw the March 23rd show at the World Café Live in Philadelphia. By the time you read this review, the Allstars will be finished their small acoustic tour and will be preparing for a long summer of touring their usual way.

Lucas Reynolds was the opener of this show, and he started off with a tune called “Across the Great Divide,” which included Luther Dickinson on guitar. Then, Chris Chew came out to join them on bass for their next song which sounded a little too similar to “Shake ‘Em On Down,” a North Mississippi Allstars song. When the two N. Mississippi Allstars left the stage, the Reynolds’ show went down hill. He did a Cold Play cover followed by a lot of really bad songs. I don’t usually like to bash musicians, but this guy was trying way too hard. He looked a little too much like Luther, and he just seemed a little out of place. He also had a different look for nearly every song (glasses then no glasses, hat then no hat etc.). To his defense, I listened to some of his studio music, and it was much better than his live performance.

The Allstars then came out with an intro followed by the 1900 traditional “Ragged But Right.” The next song was a slow “Mean Old World,” by Little Walter, but made famous by Eric Clapton. The Robert Johnson classic “From Four Till Late,” featured Cody Dickinson, usually the drummer and percussionist, on keyboard. Then came the familiar R. L. Burnside cover “Goin’ Down South,” that the boys play so well. Luther and Cody Dickinson are highly influenced by the music of R.L. Burnside, Jr. Kimbrough, and Otha Turner because of growing up in a modern blues family in Hernando, MS. In addition, having a musician/producer father like Jim Dickinson didn’t hurt the boy’s chances of feeling the spirit of the southern country blues either. Cody played the washboard for on “Goin’ Down South,” which is always my favorite part of the show. “Trouble, I’ve Had It All My Days,” the Mississippi John Hurt song, calmed the crowd again. The first song of their own came next when they played “Deep Blue Sea,” from Electric Blue Watermelon.

Ry Cooder’s “On a Monday,” was the last song before Luther talked to the crowd a bit about the tour. They felt honored to be playing a lot of their favorite songs. Luther also was proud to say that, “It is the first time that we ever had two sold out shows in one day,” describing the earlier WXPN free at noon show and the night show both held at the World Café Live. He gave Philadelphia a lot of props for the accomplishment, and then smoothed into “Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor,” into “If You’re a Viper,” while giving credit to Mississippi John Hurt and Doc Watson. Chris Chew, the big and talented bass player, sang “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” which the crowd applauded with glee. Chew is one of the happiest people one can ever see on stage. He sits in his chair and smiles from ear to ear throughout the show every time I see him.

The song “Conan,” from the Polaris album came next with the deep felt “City of New Orleans.” “City of New Orleans” was written by Arlo Guthrie and Luther and Cody’s father, Jim Dickinson, who played piano on the song. It was one of the highlights of the night until brother Cody belted out the Ray Charles “Come Back Baby.” “I’ve Got To Find My Baby,” Elvis Presley, “Junior,” “Shake What Yo’ Mama Gave You,” Jimbo Mathis, and “Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding, which all made the crowd alive again. The crowd was swingin’ and swayin’ with the lyrics of Otis Redding rolling off of Chris Chew’s lips. The song that made Redding more famous posthumously was loved by the crowd tonight. Chew admitted to not being able to whistle one of the most famous licks to be whistled in music, and the crowd helped out.

Luther said, “R. L. Burnside is with the angels in heaven,” and then played two of his gems, “Georgia Women” and “Po Black Maddie,” followed by Sonny Boy Williamson’s, “Skinny Woman,” and “Hobo’s Lullaby,” made famous by the Guthries. “Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down,” an original, ended the set before the lengthy encore closed the night.

The appropriate instrumental spiritual “Goin’ Home” which is based on the Second Movement of Dvorak’s Symphony #9 (“From the New World”) was the first song of the encore. This is a sad song and probably the second most popular funeral song to “Amazing Grace.” Then, Lucas Reynolds was brought out to finish the show with the Allstars for “Bang Bang Lulu,” and “Goodnight Irene.” But, the crowd wanted more, and Luther Dickinson came out himself with his acoustic guitar for “Candyman,” the second encore and the end of the show.

Make sure to see these modern blues greats soon!

Phil Emma,

The Grateful Web

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Other Phil reviews:

1.	Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival 2006 (6/19/2006 1:47:07 PM - http://www.gratefulweb.net/photos/photoInterface/photos.aspx?direct=Bands/Wakarusa) One of everyone’s wives’ and girlfriends’ favorite bands came next. Michael Franti’s energetic and charismatic stage presence allows people to fall in love with him and hang on his every word.
2.	Wakarusa Music and Camping Festival 2006 Part II (6/23/2006 5:23:27 PM - http://www.gratefulweb.net/photos/photoInterface/photos.aspx?direct=Bands/Wakarusa) I would like to end with a quote from musician J.J. Graves from Mofro. He said, “I’m not too good with genres. We are all individuals, and I don’t give a shit about grouping. It’s about relating.” Wakarusa was about their musicians and their audiences relating.
3.	JGB @ the Fox in Boulder (7/18/2006 8:59:44 AM - ) The Jerry Garcia Band has been an inspiration and the “keepers of the flame” for serious dead heads for years now after the passing of the band’s namesake. It is lead by the great Melvin Seals who Jerry nicknamed the Master of the Universe because of his many talents.
4.	N’awlins Funk Visits the City of Brotherly Love (2/6/2007 4:34:53 AM - ) “Y’all wish Ben (Ellman) a happy birthday,” Papa Mali preached to the crowd as he strolled off the stage after a fun set of music. It was the first night of February at the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philly on its famous South Street. Galactic was playing only the second show in their long spring tour, and it was on, N’awlins style.
5.	Moest Underrated? (2/18/2007 8:32:38 AM - ) I have always felt that moe had never truly gotten the respect that they gratefully deserve. It is slowly dawning on fans of the jamband and other scenes that moe is for real. Coming off the release of an amazing new album The Conch, that even Rolling Stone gave 4 out of 5 stars to, moe came to Philly to rock.
6.	Charlie Hunter Resident Magician (2/19/2007 4:12:09 PM - ) Guitar player, bass player, virtuoso, jazz and blues legend, and magician are all titles that describe the sorcery that Charlie Hunter creates so effortlessly on stage. Taught originally by guitarist Joe Satriani with a $7 guitar in Berkeley, and since then collaborated with dozens of incredible musicians, Hunter has certainly made his mark at a young age as a guitar great.
7.	Skatalites: Inventors of a Genre (3/3/2007 5:12:16 AM - ) The Skatalites took the stage with a countdown and went right into a familiar Skatilites opener “Freedom Sounds.” The crowd of mostly white ska swingers went crazy. It was so interesting to see ska dancers. These guys know how to move. It looked like a combination of swing dancing and moshing.
8.	The Bad Plus the Real O’Riley Factor (3/4/2007 5:49:44 PM - ) Searching for a completely new live jazz sound can be difficult these days. That’s not to say that it can’t be found. The Bad Plus is a trio out of Minnesota that to me created its own genre sound called: classical jazz. I call it that because of the mastery of the movement of sound that the band creates. This band can bring a familiar tune to your ears through a whole different avenue.
9.	Forever Evolving: The Slip (3/17/2007 5:46:33 PM - http://www.theslip.com) Most of the night was graced with many of their songs from the highly touted new album called Eisenhower. This album got a lot of press this winter with its release, being that the band’s sound evolved again drastically, this time to the extreme pleasure of many of its listeners new and old. The contemporary avant-rock trio has a long history touring, but for some reason this album captured the hearts of independent radio stations, other musicians, and people of all different musical tastes.
10.	The Raw Power of Rose Hill Drive (3/22/2007 12:21:13 PM - ) Tinnitus: the perception of sound in the ears or head where no external source is present. Someone with tinnitus often describes it as "ringing in the ears," but people report hearing all kinds of sounds: crickets, whooshing, pulsing, ocean waves, buzzing, even music.

11.	Page McConnell’s 1st Show: Coming Full Circle (3/31/2007 4:37:21 PM - ) The only conversation topic welcomed by Page in this era of moving forward was the acknowledgement of being a Philly boy and his birth at Chestnut Hill Hospital. Page carefully deflected every question about Phish and his college thesis writing days at Goddard. He seemed dignified and determined to move forward, and although I miss those days as much as anyone, this project is a good time. The crowd has progressed as well. Let’s face it we’re older now too. The “Fluffhead” chants continued and the “woo hoos” brought back memories, but as Bob Dylan once noticed, “the times they are a changin’.”
12.	Dean & Britta: New, Old, and Wistful (4/3/2007 1:23:01 PM - http://www.deanandbritta.com) These two superstars along with their new band are touring in support of their new album called Back Numbers. They admitted being a little nervous since this was their first live show in two years, but their sound never dulls. They opened with the first song off the album called “Singer Sing.” Britta’s gorgeous and tantalizing voice crooned the lyrics, “while you were sleeping, I caught you dreaming/ singer sing that song/ driver drive along.”
13.	MLB Opening Day: There’s Nothing Like It (4/4/2007 5:01:11 AM - ) It was sunny and 78 degrees in Philadelphia for the Phillies home opener against their rival Atlanta Braves. People were out and tailgating for hours. The old rag time bands were playing outside of the stadium and people were wearing their brand new jerseys mostly representing the reining league MVP Ryan Howard and all-star Chase Utley. The U.S. Navy came down in parachutes and fireworks lit the day sky with colors for the annual opening day festivities. Opening day in the major leagues is truly like nothing else in sports.