HERNANDO, Miss. — For more than 20 years, Luther and
Cody Dickinson have made it their mission to keep alive the sound of
the Mississippi hill country blues; however, they have never been strict
traditionalists. As the North
Mississippi Allstars, they’ve soaked their songs in raw, unadulterated rock
‘n’ roll while stirring in fatback funk, slippery soul and righteous gospel
to reshape and push the blues into
contemporary relevance. Their red-hot stew of roots music — and ferocious
live shows — have attracted ardent fans around the globe. Critics have been
generous with their praise too. Rolling Stone’s David Fricke
proclaimed that “deep roots, improvising valor and live-Cream brawn come
easily” to the band, while the Oxford American credits them as having
“saved and revitalized southern rock.”
The
North Mississippi Allstars’ latest effort, Blue Dances Music (due
out on March 9, 2018), might be their boldest effort to date. The sonically
experimental EP introduces loops and programming to live recordings of
tracks from their most recent album, Prayer for Peace, creating, in
Cody Dickinson’s words, “an opportunity to explore this musical landscape
with full realization.”
This
project, which Cody describes as something that was just meant to be, began
when their song “Prayer for Peace” was recorded by the Blind Boys of
Alabama. A copy of it got to the Dickinsons, who happened to be writing
beats fused with gospel chord changes and blues rhythms. When they matched
this music with the Blind Boys’ a cappella singing, it all clicked and BDM
was born. This melding of rural blues and dance rhythms actually isn’t the
big sonic leap you might think because Hill Country Blues has always been
one-chord, hypnotic dance music.
Besides
“Prayer For Peace,” the EP holds reimagined versions of “Miss Maybelle,”
“Run Red Rooster,” and the Royal Remix of “Need To Be Free,” featuring
Sharde Thomas, Rev Sekou, Al Kapone, Frayser Boy and DJ Spanish Fly. Blues Dance Music takes listeners on a journey
through gospel, blues and rock music that has been fused with dance hall
beats.
The
size and scope of Blues
Dance Music is something Luther and Cody are extremely proud of.
The album, confides Cody, “took on a life of its own — I think you can hear
the excitement of discovery in the music.”
The
Dickinsons also are excited because this spring they will get to do one of
the things that they love the best: play live. Starting in early April,
North Mississippi Allstars will embark on a six-week tour. On April 5, they
will kick things off in St. Louis, followed by shows in Kansas City and
Bloomington, IL; however, most of their time will be spent traipsing around
their old stomping grounds in southeastern America.
Stops will include appearances at the Savannah Music Festival and
Merlefest, as well as a trip north for a show in Asbury Park, N.J. You can
find the complete tour itinerary below. Given the Dickinsons’ affection for
live performances, you can bet these won’t be the only stages that they’ll
be playing on this year.
North
Mississippi Allstars tour dates:
Thurs.,
April 5 ST. LOUIS, MO Delmar Hall
Fri., April
6 KANSAS CITY, MO Knuckleheads
Sun., April
8 BLOOMINGTON, IL Castle Theatre
Thurs.,
April 12 SAVANNAH, GA Savannah Music Festival
Fri., April
13 BIRMINGHAM, AL Avondale Brewing Company
Thurs.,
April 19 MACON, GA Hargray Capitol Theatre
Fri., April
20 LIVE OAK, FL Wanee Festival
Sat., April
21 CHARLESTON, SC Music Farm
Fri., April
27 ASBURY PARK, NJ House of Independents
Sat., April
28 WILKESBORO, NC Merlefest
Fri., May
4 MEMPHIS, TN Beale Street Music Festival
Sat., May
5 NEW ORLEANS, LA Tipitina’s
Sun., May
6 DALLAS, TX Dallas International Guitar Festical
Fri., May
11 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA Jefferson Theatre
Sat., May
12 CARRBORO, NC Cat’s Cradle
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