Kent Burnside – Hill Country Blood
Bestowed upon blues aficionados are 10 tunes from the grandson of blues legend R. L. Burnside. He blends into his blues interpretation a mix of funk & rock with a personal style. Kent Burnside has played for 20 years & has developed a distinctive musical groove for his Hill Country Blood (Dropped Aug 15/Strolling Bones Records/43:48) produced by Boo Mitchell (Garry Burnside) in Memphis, TN.
While not all songs are entirely blues in a traditional sense, Kent (vocals/lead & acoustic guitars) navigates his musical roads to keep his tradition nestled firmly in a modern groove that begins with “Hill Country Blood” with curdling guitar blues runs. A near George Benson application to his voice that’s blended with Robert Cray. An interesting & refreshing musical environment. The playing is sharp, determined & never over-reaching.
His gourmet, creative guitar blend & harmonica are channeled in the classic John Lee Hooker’s “Crawling King Snake,” — an incredibly good cover. The songs are generously dipped in an authentic down-home batter. The vocal tonality has the urgency of old blues with a thick guitar applied with just enough expressive drama. “I Heard” is a cool John Lee Hooker-type vocal pulled off with finesse, while “I Go Crazy” comes soaked in harmonica & guitar with a decisive vocal.
The majority of the old blues masters lived their blues. That’s not always the case with many of today’s young blues singers & guitarists. They have the gifts technically, but the spirit isn’t always accurately conjured. It’s entertaining but not felt. Especially with such a mystifying history as the blues have. It was about skill. But never about showboating. Kent comes close on certain songs – “Rob & Steal” has the dark repetition; the possessed vocal intonation & he emphasizes the right words. It’s not supposed to be pretty. It’s the blues. Not R&R, not hip-hop – if it was, it would be rhythm & blues (R&B), the early Sam Cooke, Ray Charles type.
Snaking guitar figures should figure prominently; it’s like sharing a secret. Some singers have this tone, naturally & can’t teach it. Taj Mahal, Keb ‘Mo, Long John Baldry, John Campbell, & all the veterans from Robert Johnson through Buddy Guy. Some blues singers today temper their tunes with pop music to help appeal to a younger ear. But it’s like diluting whiskey with water & calling it drinking. A blues singer must pleasure every word, emotionally & expressively. Kent has a vocal tonality close to Keb ‘Mo, but Keb is more rural & Kent is more blues-infused.
The songs on Kent’s album are fuses — each one is lit. I’m staying.
Highlights – “Hill Country Blood,” “Crawling King Snake,” “I Heard,” “I Go Crazy,” & “Rob & Steal.”
Musicians – Garry Burnside (bass/acoustic guitar), Damian Pearson (harmonica) & Jake Best (drums).
Color image courtesy of Kent’s Bandcamp & CD image courtesy of Amanda Young Photography. CD @ Bandcamp & Apple + https://strollingbonesrecords.com/kent-burnside & https://www.kentburnsidemusic.com/
