Kent Burnside - "Hill Country Blood" - StrollingBonesRecords.com

KentBurnsideMusic.com

Produced,Recorded,Mixed - Boo Mitchell at Royal Studios,Memphis,Tennessee

Blind Raccoon - Betsie Brown - Home - Blind Raccoon

 

 

 

                          Garry Burnside and his nephew, Kent Burnside, have released their debut albums at the same time, and on the same label, Strolling Bones. Uncle Garry plays bass and acoustic guitar on Kent Burnsides release, "Hill Country Blood" .Both albums are essential for music fans , for blues fans , excited enough to discover the wonderful and creative forces driving home the fascinating and mesmerizing guitar licks both Burnsides evoke. Combining the captivating and hypnotic atmosphere of the groove-driven "Hill Country" blues style, with outside musical influences, Garry and Kent have individually, on their own merits, continued to creatively reimagine the blues tradition.

 

                      "The music is in my blood. It's my family and my past, and my future. With this album, I want people to hear where I come from and where I'm going". - Kent Burnside

 

                       Kent first heard the blues while watching his grandfather R.L. perform on the family farm for the locals in the area. Kent used to sell sandwiches to audience members for a dollar a piece during these performances. The first lesson R.L. taught Kent was that to be a bluesman you have to find your own rhythm on the guitar - as rhythm comes from your heart.

                      Kent performed for Samuel L. Jackson to help Jackson prepare for his role in Black Snake Moan (2017). Kent also worked on The Blues Brothers stage shows with Dan Akroyd. Dan Akroyd is a huge fan and supporter of Kents work. Bruce Willis once played harmonica at a jam with Kent Burnside. Kent has spent decades performing at festivals and has toured all around the world.

                     

                   Kents music has been described as reflecting the muddy soil of juke joints, late-night jam sessions, and that deep Southern spirit. Combining the deep, hypnotic rhythms of Hill Country Blues, with the raw energy of Blues-Rock, the soulful spirit of the Delta, and the urban grit of Chicago Kent has created something vibrant and exciting. Keeping himself true to his family legacy, but pushing the music forward into unique and fascinating directions, Kent Burnside continues to thrill audiences with his soulful vocals and lots of great, great blues and blues-rock guitar, oftentimes veering off into other-worldly sonic dimensions.

                     

                               Listening to the extraordinary reinvention of the John Lee Hooker classic,"Crawling King Snake",with those explosive guitar licks,the haunting harp work of "Yella P" ,  and the creatively inventive take on Junior Kimbrough's "You Better Run" , you not only feel the power of Kents fret work but you are instantly transported back to the dusty front porches of the Mississippi Delta . 

                     

                               The passionate vocals and the heartfelt fret work,you can feel the emotions pouring through this hypnotic track , "Daddy Told Me" , just Kent and his haunting guitar work, alone,deeply spiritual, and  take a listen to "Hill Country Blood" to get a real taste of what the blues is all about , the fretwork magical and the vocals swirling around you. Songs like "I Heard" , "I Go Crazy"(Damian Pearson/Yella P on harp here is the perfect soulful counterpoint to Kents guitar work,a duo that is perfectly aligned and wonderfully in sync), "One More Chance" ( with more of Yella Ps pleading harp work) , "Rob and Steal "( those rockin' guitar riffs raw and riveting,the steady,driving rhythms of "Hill Country Blues|") , and "You Better Run"  , all showcase a guitarist and vocalist whose heart may be in the Mississippi Delta but whose distinctive guitar genius is unafraid to transport the listeners to places across the musical landscape , his flowing melodies and expressive vocals sweeping us along like the currents of the Mighty Mississippi.

                 

                             " I Miss You" has to be given special mention because this is one of the many incredible tracks on "Hill Country Blues" that I find myself playing over and over again.This beautiful , poignant , heartfelt acoustic tribute to Kent Burnsides Grandfather , is shared with Garry Burnside(acoustic guitar) , and in the background is the wailing sounds of Yella P on harp , drifting along , like the stories of the Delta that are whispered on the wind.

 

                     "Hill Country Blues" is music made to move us, make your spine tingle, reach deep into your soul. This is real-deal blues with a contemporary edge, keeping the blues traditions alive but expanding musical horizons beyond borders, genres, and expectations. Plenty of irresistible grooves, the tight and hard-working musicians assembled here, sessions that reflect a sheer joy and love for "the blues|". This is so damn good, and such a good time, that I am excited for more!! "Hill Country Blues" is a wonderful album from start to finish, inventively taking the blues into so many exciting directions. Highly recommended and truly amazing!!

 

CHECK OUT - 

https://thebluesgarage.com/the-delta-blues-a-little-history

 

Musicians - Thunderous Applause To - 

             Kent Burnside- Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar/Garry Burnside- Vocals, Acoustic Guitar on "I Miss You", Bass / Jake Best - 

 

Review Written By - John Muller - Blue Notes and Conversations -  raymondmuller567.wixsite.com/blue-notes-and-con-1