Show Me the Way Home, Honey

Little Joe Ayers - Backatchya

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:03
Size: 116.9 MB
Styles: Hill Country blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:20] 1. Don't Leave Me Baby
[4:17] 2. I'm Sorry
[3:22] 3. Anywhere I Go
[4:01] 4. Train
[4:47] 5. Do The Romp
[4:26] 6. Feel Alright
[3:32] 7. Do The Bump
[3:21] 8. Keep Your Hands Off Her
[3:59] 9. Got My Eyes On You
[3:36] 10. Two Trains Running
[3:55] 11. I Asked For Water
[3:15] 12. .44
[4:06] 13. Made The Boy Love You


Now that blues legends R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough are no longer with us, I am certain most fans would agree that the North Mississippi Hill Country scene just isn't the same. And this style as a whole would no doubt be in jeopardy of finding itself shelved somewhere in the vast archives of music history, if not for the few remaining artists whose time has come to step forward from the backing bands of the greats to becoming greats themselves. Devil Down Records knows the importance of the continuation of Hill Country blues, as evidenced by the release of two particular albums over the course of this year, first with Can't Stay Long, the two-disc set by blues veteran Kenny Brown, who is known for having played in R.L. Burnside's band, and more recently with Backatchya, an album by Little Joe Ayers, talented bluesman and longtime member of Junior Kimbrough's Soul Blues Boys.

It was only recently that I got my hands on Little Joe Ayers' Backatchya album. Made up of both previously unreleased originals and Hill Country classics, Backatchya isn't just a remarkable collection of songs, it's also a statement of sorts, telling those of us who value this style of music and lament its extinction that the last of the true bluesmen have not gone, that Little Joe Ayers is still here to lay it down with as much soul and grit as they always have.

Speaking of the way it's always been done, while listening to the thirteen songs on Backatchya, one can definitely take note of the way Ayers' sound holds certain similarities to that of the late Junior Kimbrough, along with something altogether his own. In other words, his sound is still a unique version of country blues, with minimial chord changes and unorthodox song structures, the repetition and catchy note work, and a steady groove throughout, coupled with his soulful Southern vocals, cool attitude, and plenty of heart. As with most blues material, Ayers' lyrical content is often centered on real life. The entire album is just Little Joe Ayers playing acoustic guitar and singing; no additional instrumentation, no studio effects, and nothing unnatural to the live song. Indeed these are the type of blues songs that can be played while sitting on the front porch by oneself. Backatchya might as well be an old field recording from the late '50s or early '60s. ~James Carlson

Recording information: Kenny Brown's Front Porch, MS.

Little Joe Ayers (vocals, guitar).

Backatchya

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Oznake: Little Joe Ayers, Country Blues