Nu 'isse there long expected longed hot - and the only thing that I can use as an explanation to justify its existence, is the fact that it a transition, an orientation phase of the Lord James Mathis is probably due to, because what was sounds, sounds extremely rough and raw - I expected - and extremely immature in his musical ideas, amateurish almost, something like it the image of two amateur boxers on the back of the booklet it suggests: an unfit Punch, beaten imprecise - which had I actually did not expect. And fall for this kind of music, the sound image almost clear and transparent from - very amazing. All the sets more than the total production is clearly on the amateur impression.
In a first Hördurchlauf I still believe firmly to have it caught a pure boogie-Up, which is somehow come under Stones influence. This hearing impression into perspective already at the second hearing: blues jam rock is so somehow at least. Should I find a comparison, then this would definitely not the so often sought by Mathus reviewers Stones, but any combination of the Humble Pie live Walk On Guilded Splinters-Jam era and traffic at a time individually Muscle Shoals-enthusiasm, including of Reebob, the Traffic-percussionist, bongos and congas used. And the Stones .... well, even then come somewhere before, so roughly in the form of their Saint Tropez Villa Keller sessions.
And then he suggests, of course, too - the Boogie, calls itself so promptly and sings himself Boogie Music - it's good for the soul! Could he therefore not help him - why ?! And he gives him a second chance in the title was unloading Stateline Women who actually Hernado's Hideway hot and should come from a late sixties live recording. And what still so everything rolls toward one that is actually not so clearly to separate what is that although there are individual separated songs that follow also different musical themes, ultimately all but then as a continuous live session sounds. That is so lies in the fact that the musical foundation is constantly the same: a pluckerndes to himself rhythm bed of different percussion instruments, including drums - uncharacteristically for later Mathus. About this percussion carpet he steals the diverse newly appropriated styles, old, taken from Squirrel Nut Zipper times, of course: essentially Blues, Blues in variations and variations of rollin'n'tumblin, Roots-blues-rock - very and behave almost like Rolling Like a log kept in a Allman mode, played with clear lead guitar and groovy organ. And then appears even in the song Loose Diamonds, yet he, the Soul ... Soul incarnate, with real Memphis Horns, at least it sounds that way. And if we try out already everything musically plays a role in the Delta, then is still languished with loving arms towards the end even a steel-backed Country ballad, of course, on rough Mathus kind ... before an audible Blues can azusklingen the whole. Since then he has found his own Jimbo Mathus-Southern-fusion style.
So - from retro jazz and -Swing the Squirrel Nut Zippers out .... and where pure? It sounds as if he knew it in 2005 still do not really know, and he has quite a few, and blues recordings behind him. From North Carolina, and a musical New Orleans, his life has moved to Memphis, who's not so much with swing and jazz, but far more with Soul and especially blues. Although the latter was part of the Squirrel-music, but now he needs him for themselves once in the utmost determination durchdeklinieren before he can decide in future to want to sound like a fusion of Stones and neutron. He also has just the high priests of Southern boogie, the North Mississippi Allstars, Electric Blue Watermelon recorded, this mix of Hip Hop and Boogie, and is with them even Hernando import. Those familiar with the white blues of the late sixties, alarmed at the mention of this title together inevitably. *
Anyway, I've got the recording actually no longer have expected, but .... it grows hear when repeated. So best off in the long run and wait how far the growth potential. To date, four stars.
* Savoy Brown's live version of Hernando's Hideway, from their part genius (Studio), partly detestable (Live) A Step Further recording.
