World Boogie is Here – North Mississippi Allstars Unleash

Swampy, dirty, badass rock n’ blues. I’ve listened to the North Mississippi Allstars here and there over the years, but nothing they’ve done has taken a hold of me like their latest release, World Boogie Is Coming.

NMA are essentially Luther Dickinson (guitar), his brother Cody Dickinson (drums), and their friend Chris Chew on bass. Their dad, the late James Dickinson,  was a sought after producer and session player, involved with artists like the Stones, Ry Cooder, Big Star, the Replacements, Mudhoney, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and on and on…

So growing up in Memphis and yeah, north Mississippi, Jim’s kids were as mainlined into the roots/blues music scene as any kid could possibly be. Luther and Cody were especially enthralled with the juke-joint boogie style of southern Blues artists R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. It was modern artists like NMA that helped spark a career revival for Burnside late in his life (he passed in 2005).

The album mixes familiar Blues tunes like “Rollin and Tumblin” and “Boogie,” covers of R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough (including my favorite of R.L.’s: “Snake Drive“), and originals written by Luther, Cody and friends. Robert Plant even appears on harmonica on the first two tunes, “JR” and “Goat Meat” (speaking of supercharging the Blues).

At its core, World Boogie is down home n’ dirty blues of the Deep South. But there’s also the infusion of youthful, 21st century, soulful rock. Unique flairs, effects and ambiance. It lifts me right up and makes me smile. It gives me that bad-ass, lip-biting, head-nodding buzz you get from the riff in ZZ Top’s “La Grange.” It makes me grab the virtual sticks and air drum along (see “Boogie”).

World Boogie is Coming is no holds barred stomp rock & blues. This album is the sound I’m looking for when I dip into artists like the Black Keys and Jack White. Great stuff, no doubt, but there is always just something missing.

World Boogie is that something.

♥ Buy World Boogie Is Coming on Amazon for $5.00.