|
Mud Morganfield
Portrait
Delmark Records |
In 2021, Mud
Morganfield signed with Delmark Records,
releasing a single, "Praise Him," shortly
afterward. The label has now issued Portrait,
a 14-song set which collects and remixes the
dozen tracks from Morganfield’s 2012 release,
Son of the Seventh Son, bookending it with
two new tracks, including the aforementioned
single. Morganfield looks and sounds very much
like his famous father, but with subsequent
releases he managed to expand his sound into
soul and R&B territory, so listening to his
previous work proves that he’s no mere imitator.
He's very much his own man.
The original
release, one of my favorites of 2012 is
definitely worth revisiting, but the newer
tracks add to an already impressive package. One
of the new tracks is the album opener, “Praise
Him,” the single Morganfield released last
summer. A self-penned gospel track, it describes
Morganfield’s own spiritual walk and how it
continues to lead him in a positive manner.
Morganfield also plays bass on this
inspirational track and he’s backed by guitarist
Rick Kreher and Mike Wheeler, with drummer
Cameron Lewis and Luca Chiellini on keyboards.
Kreher played
guitar on the 2012 release, along with Billy
Flynn. E.G. McDaniel played bass and Kenny
“Beedy Eyes” Smith played drums, with the late
Barrelhouse Chuck working wonders on the
keyboards and producer Bob Corritore and
Harmonica Hinds splitting the harmonica duties.
Morganfield does a couple of songs associated
with his father, such as “Short Dress Woman”
(written by J.T. Brown),” and Waters’ own “You
Can’t Lose What You Ain’t Never Had.”
He also proves
himself to be a very good songwriter, submitting
seven original tracks including the playful
“Love To Flirt,” “Catfishing” and “Health,”
which both feature Barrelhouse Chuck playing
some very ’60s psychedelic organ, a great train
song (“Loco Motor”), a cool slow blues
(“Midnight Lover”), the swinging “Leave Me
Alone,” and “Blues In My Shoes,” a nice
mid-tempo shuffle. Studebaker John Grimaldi
contributed “Son of the Seventh Son,” a slow
burning sequel to “Seventh Son,” a favorite from
his dad’s repertoire, while Corritore and Flynn
each penned a track (“Go Ahead and Blame Me” and
“Money (Can’t Buy Everything)” respectively).
Morganfield’s
other new song rounds out Portrait, a
faithful reading of the blues standard “Good
Morning Little School Girl,” the John Lee
Williamson tune that many a blues man, including
Muddy Waters, covered over the years. The vocal
similarities are remarkable between father and
son and the musical backing gives the tune a
late-’50s Chess feel.
If you missed
Son of the Seventh Son when it came out in
2012, Portrait is a great opportunity to
check out what you missed, and then some. The
excellent new tracks show that Mud Morganfield
figures to be a great addition to the Delmark
roster.
--- Graham Clarke
