years ago that the young man was on his way to the top and had been taken under the wing of our Asheville, NC hero Warren Haynes. Outstanding cuts include “What’s
Right,” “Slip Back,” and a track that had me at “hello,” a smoking jazzed up rendition of my favorite Toy Caldwell/Marshall Tucker Band song of all time, “This Ol’ Cowboy.” It’s got a smooth groove, baby. The much talked about “Sharry Barry”
medley from Chicago last year is a smoking hot live track to complete the EP. It’s an epic 15-minute medley of the band’s “Sharry Barry,” “Sliced Milk” (a Jeff Sipe cover), “25 Or 6 To 4” (a Chicago cover), “I’ll Stay” (a Funkadelic cover), and “Gloomy Sunday” (fa- mously covered by Billie Holiday). Wowzer! Talk about a magical mash up! Go South and download Due North
today. It’s a great introduction to a guitarist and band that are rising to the top – quickly.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
Samantha Fish Belle of the West (Ruf) I’ll happily admit
that I have been a Samantha Fish fan for several years now, ever since she was my guest
on the KUDZOO Radio hour when her first album came out in 2009. Even then, it was obvious this young lady had what it takes to be a major star. With Belle of the West, she steps even
further into the very center of the spotlight with an absolutely fantastic record, teaming up with Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) who produced the album and plays on it as well. The pair had worked together previously on her 2015 album Wild Heart, and have some obvious chemistry. Fish again showcases her bluesy voice
and hot guitar playing, from the opening track “American Dream” to the country fla- vored “Need You More” and the excellent Jimbo Mathis (Squirrel Nut Zippers) penned title track, “Belle of the West,” brings to mind the cosmic cowboy sounds made popular by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris back in the ‘70’s. Fish’s cover of R.L. Burnside’s “Poor
Black Mattie” rocks with a Delaney & Bonnie type of feel, trading off vocals with famed Mississippi juke joint artist Lightnin’ Mal- com, creating one of the albums most down- right fun tracks. And I love the “studio sounds” Dickinson left on the album, the drum stick clicking count offs, Samantha say- ing “okay, are we ready” before counting off the lovely “Nearing Home,” which features vocals from Jack White associate and solo artist Lillie Mae, who wrote the song. Also featured on the album are upright bassist Amy LaVere, Tikyra Jackson, Trina Raimey (drums) and Sharde Thomas (fife/drums/vo- cals), granddaughter of Southern bluesman Otha Turner. While last year’s Chills & Fever pre-
sented a rocking, guitar heavy album, Fish changes up on this one, featuring more acoustic based songs, with a real Mississippi vibe. An excellent Southern sounding record from a mid-western girl with an immense tal- ent.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
The Life and Songs of Kris Kristofferson All-Star Concert Celebration (2 CDs and DVD) (Blackbird)
It was quite a tribute to one of Amer-
ica’s finest songwriters when a sold-out crowd filled Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on March
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