ALBERT CUMMINGS
True to Yourself (Blind Pig)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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I've shouted about guitar slinger Albert Cummings in these screens before as I particularly liked his 2003 effort, From the Heart (Under the Radar), when he worked with Double Trouble. I've continued to be impressed with Albert's songwriting and Stratocaster gifts. His story is unique, too. While he learned bluegrass as a young man, he didn't actively pursue a blues career until his mid- to late- thirties. For years, Albert worked for the family business in the Northeast in construction, and I'm glad he's traded his framing hammer for a Stratocaster. His Blind Pig debut reunites him with Tommy Shannon of Double Trouble, and True to Yourself is a rare CD. Rare for the way Albert tears up the fretboard consistently throughout, and rare for 10 original, solid blues songs that are built around traditional blues songwriting forms. I keep turning up "Work It Out" for Albert's solo workout, and I enjoy the way that "Blues Makes Me Feel So Good" floats on a Memphis-inspired groove built around Riley Osborne's keyboards backed by Tommy Shannon on bass and Frosty Smith on the drums. True to Yourself is an outstanding CD.

Track List:

Man on Your Mind * Work It Out * Come Up For Air * Blues Makes Me So Good * Where Did I Go Wrong? * Your Sweet Love * Sleep * Separately * Lonely Bed * Follow Your Soul

© 2005 - Eric Steiner