OTHA TURNER & THE AFROSSIPPI ALLSTARS
Self Titled (Birdman)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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If you wanna catch Otha live you had better hurry up. Not only is he getting mighty long in the tooth, but his stage spots tend to be very brief. I missed his ten minute set at the Clarksdale Blues Festival years back while searching out drink refreshments on a stinky hot afternoon. Still kicking myself for that blunder, especially when listening to this thrilling marriage of Mississippi (field hollers, drums and fifes) and Africa (kora, sangban and djembe). This is stark, primitive, hill country blues from the heart of the Delta - marching drums led by Otha's hollow cane fishing pole - jammed with African rhythms. Best of all, it cooks, it's fresh and doesn't sound at all like a dusty historic document headed for the public library.

© 2000 - John Sekerka