MACK EVANS

LOWDOWN

2008-05-06

Mack Evans has a Ph.D. in the blues as American Literature. On this, his debut, he applies his smarts and chameleon like ability to take on different personas to 13 original, mostly acoustic tunes that mine everything from the blues to soul to stone cold country. On "Elvis When He Was Elvis," Evans reminisces about the King “before the movies and the pills” over a bluesy backdrop. When "Scotty Moore Played" features Evans in a Johnny Cash mood and gives credit to Elvis’ long time guitar player as one of his seminal influences. "Wrong" is a country style weeper which makes the Tone-Loc rap like delivery of "Shakespeer" all the more surprising. Keeping things off kilter, Evans lays down a Boz Scaggs style soul tune on "Three Between the Sheets" and seemingly channels Dylan on the blues shuffle, "T.V. Mama". "Lowdown" is a swampy Tony Joe White style number with saxophone adding just the right amount of grease to the groove. Overall, a nice change of pace for acoustic blues. Smitty

More reviews tagged #Blues

  • reviewed 07/2014

    THE DREAM LOGIC
    My Black Arts

  • reviewed 11/2009

    DAVID MAXWELL & LOUISIANA RED
    YOU GOT TO MOVE

  • reviewed 10/2008

    ROOT DOCTOR
    - Live at the Cadillac Club

  • reviewed 02/2014

    SANDY CARROLL
    Unnaturally Blonde

  • reviewed 02/2014

    PAUL RODGERS
    THE ROYAL SESSIONS

  • reviewed 03/2016

    Freekbass and the Bump Assembly
    Cincinnati

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.