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 11/2014

    Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers
    Love Whip Blues

  • reviewed 12/2017

    JOHNNY NICHOLAS
    TOO MANY BAD HABITS

  • reviewed 02/2010

    JEFF HEALEY
    SONGS FROM THE ROAD

  • reviewed 03/2007

    Frank "Paris Slim" Goldwasser
    bluju

  • reviewed 05/2009

    SHIRLEY JOHNSON
    Blues Attack

  • reviewed 03/2019

    MARY LANE
    TRAVELIN' WOMAN

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.