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ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Last of the Mississippi Jukes (Sanctuary Records)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner
As I mentioned in these screens last month, it's time to celebrate the Year of the Blues. I'm pleased to report that Black Starz! has released a CD that captures the Delta blues live just like they play in Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero juke joint in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The Last of the Mississippi Jukes is a documentary that showcases the blues live in Mississippi, from Ground Zero to the Subway Lounge, a Jackson, Mississippi venue that's seen better days with the likes of Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Lionel Hampton, and other great musicians. Alvin Youngblood Hart cooks on "Joe Friday" and Bobby Rush's "Garbage Man" is a butt-shaker, but this CD deserves to be in every blues fan's collection as it is a no-frills snapshot of local bands that are trying to make it today in Mississippi. Last year, I had the good fortune to spend some time down in the Delta, and it's good to see that folks like Sam Carr, Chris Thomas King, and Patrice Moncell and the House Rockers are getting their due. Don't tell anybody, but Patrice's sultry "Strokin'" is a joyful adults-only romp. If this soundtrack is any indication of the quality of the film, Last of the Mississippi Jukes will surely do justice to some hard-working players in the Delta. It's about time.
Track List:
Joe Friday/Alvin Youngblood Hart with Sam Carr and Anthony Sherrod * Every Goodbye Don't Mean I'm Gone/The Deep Cuts * Garbage Man/Bobby Rush * Subway Swing/Greg "Fingers" Taylor with Casey Phillips and the Hounds * Stormy Monday/Patrice Moncell with The House Rockers * You Know I've Tried/Levon Lindsey and J.T. Watkins with The King Edward Blues Band * Casino in the Cottonfield/Vasti Jackson with The King Edward Blues Band * John Burned the Liquor Store/Chris Thomas King * The Blues is Alright/Dennis Fountains and Pat Brown * What Goes Around Comes Around/Lucille * Hole in the Wall/ The King Edward Blues Band * Strokin'/Patrice Moncell and Vasti Jackson with The House Rockers * Members Only/Abdul Rasheed with The House Rockers * Juke Joint Jam (Medley of "Last of the Mississippi Jukes" and "Next Time You See Me") with David Hughes, Jimmy King, and Virgil Brawley
© 2003 - Eric Steiner