Ian Siegal & The Youngest Sons - The Skinny (2011)




Tracks:

01. The Skinny (4:50)
02. Stud Spider (5:41)
03. Master Plan (5:19)
04. Hound Dog In The Manger (7:39)
05. Picnic Jam (5:03)
06. Natch'l Low (Coolin' Board) (5:15)
07. Better Then Myself (5:06)
08. Devils In The Detail (3:55)
09. Moonshine Minnie (3:51)
10. Garry's Nite Out (4:06)
11. Hopper (Blues For Dennis) (4:19)

For his sixth album Ian Siegal went out to the Zebra Ranch Studio in Coldwater, Mississippi. The Zebra Ranch Studio where the North Mississippi All-stars also record their albums and where Jon Spencer most recent album was recorded as well.
On the spot he recruited a bunch of musicians he christened 'The youngest Sons'.
Garry Burnside (guitar / bass guitar), Robert Kimrough (guitar) and Rodd Bland (drums) are the youngest sons of successively R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough and Roddy Bland.
Cody Dickinson, of the North Mississippi All-stars and above all Jim Dickinson's youngest son, is not only responsible for the production of this album but plays the drums on a few of the tracks.
Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart, André Turner and Duwayne Burnside are also guests appearing on 'The Skinny'.

Everyone, whom is familiar with Ian Siegal's down to earth vocal style and his especially in Muddy's style-drenched slide guitar style, knows in advance that such cooperation should yield a wonderful record.
That's what it has turned out as well!!. The spirit of producer Jim Dickinson was still in the studio, while his grand piano is serving as a waste decaying party table in the backyard.

The tracks are, except in Siegal whiskey-voice, drenched in the blues that Muddy, Fred McDowell and R.L. Burnside left us with.
"Masterplan" and "Hound Dog in the Manger" are so marinated and prepared in the pan of the above mentioned blues-masters, that it is almost inconceivable that these recordings were made in 2011.
In 'Low Natch'l (Coolin' Board)' the ghost of McDowell wanders around.
Siegal has really dug deep in the history of the area in which he recorded this album.
In "Better Than Myself ' the acoustic guitar style of Mississippi Joe Callicott is percolating, while in' Devil's in the Details' - with Andrew Turner (probably a descendant of Otha Turner 1907-2003) of Fyffe - the music of fife and drum- bands is once more retrieved.
The atmosphere of the fish fries and BBQ cookouts drips off it.
'Garry's Nite Out" written by Garry Burnside is an acoustic duet of Garry (vocals / guitar) and Ian (acoustic slide guitar).
No white blues performer of today can come closer to the deep-rooted black Mississippi blues than Ian Siegal with this beautiful and outstanding album. ~
Quelle:_{Review by Dutch Blues Magazine.}


Remi