Rory Block "Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell"

 

 

Rory Block is one of those exceptional blues artists whom has had the immense good fortune of crossing paths with some of the Blues Legends of the past, and the good luck to have had those Legends pass through her life when she was just a young very impressionable lady. Those Legends, of which a few she described as her mentors, forever forged the road ahead for her as an artist, and by doing so, Rory has spent the better part of her life proving that she has learned well from their teachings and that they certainly would of been very proud to see all that she has become, as a Singer, Songwriter, and most definitely a Musician.

 

"Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell" is the second album she has done under the Stony Plain Record Label and like the first album, "Blues Walkin' Like A Man: A Tribute To Son House", it is also a tribute album and also dedicated to a Legend she had met and whom had mentored her. "Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell" continues to follow my criteria, in relation to what makes a Tribute Album a truly great Tribute Album, that I set down when I reviewed "Blues Walkin' Like A Man: A Tribute To Son House", and it stated, "When it comes to a tribute album, I believe the true measure of how good that album is, comes from it's ability to not just make you either a first time fan or a greater fan of that artist, but also it's ability to make you either a first time fan or a greater fan of the artist being tributed. In the case of Rory Block's new release "Blues Walkin' Like A Man: A Tribute To Son House", both those criteria are met and to an exceptionally high standard." "Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell" once again more than meets that criteria.

"Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell" consists of 12 songs of which 8 are McDowell's and 4 are originals. The originals are in themselves, also a tribute to Mississippi Fred McDowell and show her "admiration for a man she met so long ago". The 8 Cover songs are a mixture of some of Mississippi Fred McDowell's best known, as well as, some of his more obscure compositions. One of the better known songs on this album would of course be "Good Morning Little School Boy", which yes, Rory does a little gender bending on, as the original name is of course, "Good Morning Little School Girl". In her liner notes, Rory explains in detail why she chose to sing it as she did, via a different genders perspective and I found her explanation to be totally in line with today's more in tune Psyche, and I was quite pleased that she decided to add it to this album.

 

When creating her original songs for "Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell", she tried to place herself inside of what ever circumstances and situations McDowell may of been going through in that particular time period. A good example of that can be found with her song, "The Breadline", a song which started out as going to be an instrumental, but after a while she decided to write lyrics for it, as well. Rory wrote the song after realizing that McDowell left home in 1926 and therefore, also went through the Great Depression. That is also a song in which Rory felt was just as relevant in today's times, as it was back then.

 

When playing the music on "Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell", one could not ask for a better Guitarist, in fact as I quoted in "Blues Walkin' Like A Man: A Tribute To Son House", from the Blues Revue Magazine, Rory Block is "one of the greatest living acoustic blues artists". That is a compliment that I am sure she is very proud of, and one of which certainly confirms the fact that it was not anything less than raw talent which has seen her already receive five W.C. Handy Awards (now known simply as Blues Awards) from the Blues Foundation, two for "Traditional Blues Female Artist," and three for "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year." In addition to her talent as a Guitarist, she also is a remarkable vocalist, one that still carries a youthfulness in her singing, and kind of reminds me a little of a young Joni Mitchell.

 

"Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell", is yet another brilliant release from Rory Block, one that pays tribute to a Legendary Artist by an Artist whom is certainly heading in the direction of legendary status, herself.

 

It is always a great pleasure to come across an artist whom truly puts all she has and all she has learned, into her craft. With "Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell", Rory continues to give us all yet another great example of that.

 

"Shake 'Em On Down - A Tribute To Mississippi Fred McDowell", receives my highest rating of 5*****. When it comes to Tribute Albums, you really can't expect much better...

 

Review by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network) 

Tracklist

 

1. Steady Freddy 
2. Mississippi Man 
3. Kokomo Blues 
4. Good Morning Little School Girl 
5. What's the Matter Now? 
6. Shake `Em On Down 
7. Worried Mind 
8. The Man That I'm Lovin' 
9. Ancestral Home 
10. The Breadline 
11. Woke Up This Morning 
12. Write Me a Few of Your Lines

 

Listen To Samples Here...