SONNY LANDRETH
Levee Town (Sugar Hill)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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Last month, Sonny Landreth's fifth studio disc landed on my virtual colleague Dan Forte's top five list here at Cosmik Debris. Levee Town almost made it to mine, because Sonny Landreth is one of the hottest slide guitar players to ever break out of Louisiana. After an apprenticeship to Clifton Chenier, he went on to tour with John Hiatt and the Goners, and just like his choice of musical employers, his solo work is first-class, too. Levee Town is Sonny's long-awaited follow-up to 1995's South of I-10 and like its predecessor, it is textbook Louisiana blues, flavored with a pinch of Cajun and Creole now and then. Levee Town features some great songwriting and even better playing, if that's possible. Check out the title cut, and the rollicking "The U.S.S. ZydecOldsmobile" and "Broken Hearted Road," a song that's filled with Delta country blues that builds to a fine bluesy rocker that recalls Robert Johnson. Levee Town is an achievement, and I hope we won't have to wait six years for his next set.

Track List:

Levee Town * This River * The U.S.S. ZydecOldsmobile * Love And Glory * Broken Hearted Road * Spider Gris * Godchild * Turning With The Century *Z-Rider * Soul Salvation * Angeline * Deep South

© 2001 - Eric Steiner