“American roots… with a blast of punk rock energy.” – PopMatters North
Nothing runs deeper than family ties. North Mississippi Allstars have been together twenty-five years, recording twelve albums and earning five Grammy nominations. Now, they open up their world once again on their thirteenth album, 2022’s Set Sail. Here, they welcome other family (by blood and by the road) into the fold. Luther and Cody Dickinson started the band in 1996 as a loose collective of like-minded second-generation musicians who shared a local repertoire and regional style.
Over the years, the lineup shifted by design, and each subsequent record offers up a different combination of collaborators. This time around, they mine the talents of Jesse Williams on bass and Lamar Williams, Jr. on vocals. The Dickinsons first linked up with Lamar, During the Allman Betts Band Family Revival. Also, Lamar is the son of Allman Brothers bassist Lamar Williams, Sr.
The Dickinson brothers have recorded and toured with Mavis Staples, Charlie Musslewhite, John Hiatt, Robert Plant and Patty Griffin. Also, G Love, Jon Spencer, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Los Lobos, and the Black Crowes. Meanwhile, their seminal debut, 2000’s Shake Hands with Shorty, earned the band the first of five Grammy nominations. Thus, it changed the Dickinson brothers’ lives forever.
Blues Hall of Fame
2 Grammy Awards
14 Blues Music Awards
During his renowned stage show, Bobby Rush frequently jumps high into the air, arms spread and legs tucked, only to land gracefully and return without a hitch to his dazzling routine. It’s a move you might expect at a contemporary R&B show, but it’s downright shocking when you realize that Rush is in his early nineties.
“I never thought I would be here this long,” says Rush. “I was 83 years old before I won a Grammy, but it’s better late than never. I laugh about it, but I’m so blessed and I surely never thought I’d be making a living doing what I’m doing. I’m not just an old guy on my way out.”
Recommended for fans of Charlie Musselwhite, Taj Mahal, Little Milton and the Tedeschi Trucks Band.