Garry Burnside- "It's My Time Now" - Strolling Bones Records-
Produced by Boo Mitchell
Recorded and Mixed by Boo Mitchell- Royal Studio,Memphis,Tennessee
GarryBurnsidemusic.com / StrollingBonesRecords.com
Publicity/Radio- Betsie Brown- Blind Raccoon
Hard to believe that this extraordinary album is the first solo release from Garry Burnside . Coming up under his dad,R.L.Burnside,and Junior Kimbrough,Garry has certainly learned quite a lot. Describing his sound as " Hill Country with a lil bit of funk" , Garry combines his raw and riveting guitar work,deep Southern grooves, compelling vocals, with touches of jazz,swing,blues,rock,and funk , a mix that creatively reimagines the blues traditions - ".....I just play and let the strings lead me in the direction I am meant to go in."
Backtracking a bit through time - Garry Burnside is the youngest son of the legendary Hill Country bluesman R.L.Burnside.He has been captivating audiences with his music since he was 11 years old. Garry spent his teens and twenties as the protege,bassist,and occasional guitarist for Mississippi Blues legend Junior Kimbrough.Garry played on all of Junior Kimbrough's critically acclaimed Fat Possum recordings.After Junior passed on Garry began recording with the North Mississippi All-Stars. The Hill Country Revue - a North Mississippi Allstars side project- Garry wrote almost their entire debut album,"Under Pressure", brother Duwayne Burnside,and Grammy-winning nephew Cedric Burnside- with whom Garry received a Grammy nomination for their collaboration "Descendents of Hill Country". Garry has also recorded with Bobby Rush and many other notable artists.
"I dedicate the traditional styles that I have learned from others into what I am writing now. I incorporate everything I have learned and mix it with the sound I am looking for."
Garry Burnside and his nephew,Kent Burnside,are releasing their debut albums on the same day and on the same label,"Strolling Bones". Uncle Garry plays bass and acoustic guitar on Kent Burnside's release,"Hill Country Blood" .
Recorded in Royal Studios in Memphis with Grammy Award-winning producer Boo Mitchell,son of the legendary Hi Records and Al Green producer,Willie Mitchell, the sessions reflect that unique blend of soul music and rhythm and blues that brought Hi Records world-wide popularity that continues to this very day. The Memphis Sound has always been universal,connecting people,and crossing genres. Now add the "Hill Country" blues style to the mix- those unconventional song structures,those mesmerizing riffs,some of which are played on slide guitar , creating a captivating and hypnotic atmosphere , and an emphasis on the "groove", or that steady,driving rhythm that has fingers snapping,hands clapping,and feet having minds of their own.
Maie Smith-group tour manager and operations manager at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale,Mississippi - "Delta blues music is a music that works from the heart to the outside. It starts with your most inner being,and helps to lift you up and raise you above whatever circumstances you were in."
Garry Burnside's music has a "rhythmic heartbeat" and a "musical signature" that is deeply intertwined with the spirit of the Mississippi River . The river's long,rippling path , and its independent and unpredictable nature , perfectly reflect the music and song of Garry Burnside. Like the flow of " The Big Muddy" there are plenty of interesting rhythms and changes , filled with an extraordinary emotional depth.
Listening to tracks like -
* "I've Been Looking" with its layers of blues-rock alongside that signature Hill Country style.
* "AGF Out" , a fiery barn-burner of an instrumental , a hypnotic musical muse that captures your senses and binds your soul.
* "The standout instrumental."High" , featuring some outstanding and electic fretwork wrapped around plenty of funk,driven by Andrea Stanton's rhythm guitar and the powerful dynamics of the tag team of Pinky Putnam and Avery Dillworth - A funked up stew spiced up just right with some fiery blues notes.
* "Hanging In There" is wonderfully performed Hill Country Blues dressed well with plenty of funk added to the mix.
* "Ramblin" - features some excellent guitar and great vocals , keeping your attention captive for a spell.
* "Young Country Boy" - plenty of hot licks served up right here dished up with the extraordinary sides of Garry and his incredible bandmates.
* "Holdin On To My Woman" features some of Garrys strongest vocals alongside that powerful backing band.
* " It's My Time" is simply explosive,Garry's guitar speaking loudly on its own , the music being guided,pushed, and pulled along by an unseen spectral force.
* The bonus track, "Garry's Night Out", is pure magic, that powerful mojo casting its spell , a superb showcase for Garry's spirited guitar work.
The vocals here , and the lyrics as well , perfectly frame the outstanding and incredible guitar work of Garry Burnside. The brilliant solos are driven by the blues , but shaded in tones ,and hues , and colors that reflect a wonderful kaleidoscope of musical influences. The three instrumentals here - "High" , "AGF Out" , and "Bad Luck City" - are the perfect examples of a guitarist unafraid to take risks, boldly inventive,and colorfully creative. Garry Burnside thunderously proclaims,"It's My Time Now" , and his niche in the blues world is definitely his and his alone. He is certainly a force to be reckoned with , uniquely authentic , reflecting the pulse of real-deal blues, with the heartbeat of contemporary times. A remarkable release that is as interesting as it is enjoyable. I, for one,can't wait for Garry Burnside's next project. This time around he just blew me away!!
Outstanding band - a solid team - a collaborative dynamo driving home these sessions - that deserve their applause and our thanks -
* Garry Burnside- vocals,guitar / Andrea Stanton - rhythm guitar / Pinky Pulliam - bass - except - "Hanging In There" / Avery Dilworth-drums / John C. Stubblefield - courtesy of Lucero- bass on "Hanging In There" .
Review Written By - John Muller - Blue Notes and Conversations - raymondmuller567.wixsite.com/blue-notes-and-con-1
Be Sure to Check Out - "Garry Burnside - Hill Country Blues Time" - Music Network by Michael Limnios - August 12,2025
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