Mud Morganfield, Duwayne Burnside and Candice Ivory: Blues Triad

Posers abound around the contemporary blues universe, but none of these three is among them. On the contrary, Mud Morganfield, Duwayne Burnside and Candice Ivory all transcend cliche in their work, doing the tradition proud in his/her own distinct fashion. As a direct descendant of a blues icon Muddy Waters, Morganfield carries the heaviest load, but he does so valiantly and without undue self-consciousness. Likewise, Burnside, whose direct lineage pervades the music of the Mississippi Hill Country he has so fully processed. And Ivory has taught herself to make records that do full and complete justice to the legacy of the genre to which she, Morganfield and Burnside are so fervently devoted.

Mud Morganfield
Deep Mud
Nola Blue Records
2025

It is arguable that no contemporary blues artist carries as heavy a load of combined expectation anticipation as Mud Morganfield. As his surname suggests, he is the son of McKinley, aka Muddy Waters, but sure evidence of this offspring's courage is the inclusion of a pair of his father's own songs within the fourteen total that comprise Deep Mud. Yet "Country Boy" and "Strange Woman," are of a piece with the son's originals here like "Bring Me Whiskey" and "A Dream Walking." The usual accoutrements of anonymous genre arrangements are conspicuously absent on both as is the strained arch posing of other modern blues denizens. Producer/arranger Studebaker John ensures an inarguable authenticity through the audio mix he oversaw with engineer/recordist Brian Leach, but the horns charted by Phil Perkins also contribute to this borderline cathartic mood, especially in adding to the air of spontaneity during "She's Getting Her Groove On." More such lively interludes as that would benefit the somewhat erratic pacing near the home stretch of these seventy-some minutes, but the exclusion of some tracks would benefit the flow too: the fitful "Don't Leave Me" doesn't sound fully formed as a song or a recording even as, on the other hand, "Cosigner Man" is too busy pure and simple, its arrangement bogged down with female backing vocals. In contrast, Roosevelt Purifoy's piano adds color to "Ernestine" as does the electric guitar of Rick Kreher (both of which also shine at various other points throughout). There's no question Mud Morganfield's guttural voice closely resembles his father's, but the slightly tongue-in-cheek delivery he uses on "Strike Like Lightning" is very much his own, emblematic of how he is extending a proud tradition by dint of his own personality.

Duwayne Burnside
Red Rooster
Lucky 13 Records
2025

Through his direct lineage and his previous collaborations, Duwayne Burnside had something of a name for himself prior to the release of Acoustic Burnside (Dolceola, 2022) and Red Rooster emphatically continues his tradition of potent collaborations. Co-founder of the North Mississippi Allstars—with whom Duwayne played on >em>Polaris (Tone Cool Records, 2003)—Cody Dickinson produced this logical extension of the aforementioned Burnside record and from its very inception on "Nightmare," it is a fiery companion piece indeed. Even at slightly less than three minutes, "Circle in the Sky" demonstrates the abiding affinity between Burnside and both Dickinson brothers: Cody's sibling Luther makes his presence felt here too if only unobtrusively. Likewise, the latter's frequent collaborator Jimbo Mathus' "Talk Sweet To Me" is a delicious slice of soul/r&b balladry that delivers a marked contrast to the unholy wail of electric guitar on "Crazy 'Bout You." Meanwhile, "Tribute" falls somewhere in between, with the layering of acoustics at the foundation of the track; all such subtleties become readily apparent in the immaculate audio overseen by Kevin Houston. The rapping of the late Cody Burnside (grandson of R.L. also an icon of Mississippi Hill Country music) might sound contrived if it didn't conjure thoughts of what Jimi Hendrix might well have done with hip hop had he lived, yet the most affecting cut of all ten here is not only the longest (at 7:28), but also the one most unlike what precedes it: "Mississippi Here I Come" bristles with lively acoustic guitar interplay before Burnside invokes the pleasures of the region in a gruff, good-natured growl. It all makes for a convincing near-forty minute testament to the timeless appeal of the blues.

Candice Ivory
New Southern Vintage
Nola Blue Records
2025

Guitarist/bassist Charlie Hunter's no-frills production of Candice Ivory's previous album—When The Levee Breaks: The Music Of Memphis Minnie (Little Village, 2023)—effectively set the stage for this follow-up LP, which lives up to its name by dint of colorful arrangements imbued with panache by 'The Queen of Avant Soul' and her fittingly-named backing band, the Blue Bloods. And these fourteen tracks are all the more impressive considering Ivory herself produced them: the opening cut, "Ain't So Blind," runs the gamut from vintage Chicago south side strains to rock-infused elements of which Sixties British aficionados were so fond. Yet, the congruence of style(s) doesn't stop there: "Blue Blood" mixes snappy acoustic guitar playing with the saucy warble of harp from Jan Hartman and the front woman's vocals are so replete with confident gusto, she is still sufficiently humble to share lead vocal chores on "Foolish Pleasure" with Yubu Kazungu. The transition from that comparatively muted track to the speedy gallop of "Lookin' For My Baby" is not only indicative of smart track sequencing, but also the unity of the Blue Bloods: whose core cohesion e is such it can accommodate the rollicking piano of Ben Levin without disturbing their bond as an ensemble. Thanks to the mix by Foster Lewis and mastering by Antonio Vergara on selections such "Strong Black Mattie," the plush sonics expand to fill the stereo spectrum in such a way the depth and breadth of the audio mirrors the diversity of this material and the production transitions therein; a case in point is the juxtaposition of Andrew Cohen's narration on "Tradition" with blues icon Jimmy "Duck" Holmes' prominent guitar and vocals on "Catfish Blues," just one sequence indicative of this LP as a blues tour de force.

Tracks and Personnel

Red Rooster

Tracks: Nightmare; Circle in the Sky; Somebody Done Stole My Girl; Things Ain't Going My Way; Talk Sweet To Me;Tribute; Crazy 'Bout You; King; Down and Out; Mississippi Here I Come. Personnel: Duwayne Burnside: vocals, guitar; Luther Dickinson: guitar, bass; Jimbo Mathus: guitar, vocals: Cody Dickinson: drums, piano, guitar.

Deep Mud

Tracks: Bring Me My Whiskey; Big Frame Woman; Strange Woman; Don't Leave Me; She's Getting Her Groove On; Ernestine; Strike Like Lightning; Cosigner Man; Lover Man: In and Out of My Life; The Man That You're With; Carolina; Country Boy; A Dream Walking.

Personnel: Mud Morganfield: vocals; Rick Kreher: guitar;Mike Wheeler: guitar; Smith Ariyo Arioshi: piano; Roosevelt Purifoy: piano, organ; E.G. McDaniel: bass; Rodrigo Mantovani: upright bass; Melvin "Pooky Styx" Carlisle: drums; Phil Perkins: trumpet; Felicia Collins: background vocals; Kristen Lowe: background vocals; Jacole Avent: background vocals; Demetrius M. Hall: background vocals.

New Southern Vintage

Tracks: Ain't So Blind; Blue Blood; I'm In Trouble; Foolish Pleasure; Lookin' For My Baby; Strong Black Mattie; Let Your Love Shine On: Look Away; Tradition; Catfish Blues; Corrina; Crown Royal Bag Blues; World of Trouble; Shout the Boogie.

Personnel: Candice Ivory: vocals: Takuto Asano: guitar; Robert Allen Parker: guitar; Adam Hill: guitar; David Evans: guitar, Damian Pearson: harmonica, guitar; Ben Levin: piano, whistle; Yubu Kazungu: vocals; Chris Stephenson: Wurlitzer organ; Hammond B3;, Andrew Cohen: narration, guitar; Antonio Vergara: lap steel; background vocals; Jimmy "Duck" Holmes: vocals, guitar; Khari Wynn: bass; Donnon R. Johnson: drums.

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