Il Blues Magazine (Italy), July 7, 2004

Dare You to Do it Again by Paolo Cagnoni

Just imagine that someone has organised a party for a Delta Blueswoman, one of the most sincere and abrasive artists nicknamed "Queen of the Guitar Boogie" or, more simply "Miss Jessie". Figure her party out, with hours and hours of spirituals, blues and traditional songs played and sung for her with passion and fun. And then try and imagine that the players and singers are Robert Belfour, Kenny Brown, Cedric and Garry Burnside, Ruthie Foster, Kent Kimbrough, Jimbo Mathus and many others more.

At this point, if your imagination has been working properly, carry it to a further level and fancy that all the music played at this party has been recorded on a double CD. Well then, relish it all, because this is just what happened. The outcome is audible in these 15 tracks, about 100 minutes long, of pure "Blues of the hills". A terrific, primeval, simple and engrossing route that runs through the story of the music of the soul and offers, in a steady upgrading of emotions, the covers of timeless spirituals, songs that carry us back to old bayou atmospheres, sliding instruments, choirs and laughters. It's a home made thing, tasting with old times, when everyone would gather and have fun together in the fields, with something to eat and drink at hand.

This is the atmosphere that the sour and out of tune voice of Jessie Mae Hemphill is master of. She is looking at us with her disquieting eye, out of the CD front picture. There she is, cigarette in her hand and a gun (!) in the other. Due to a physical problem this artist cannot play, and therefore she goes wild in an unbecoming way of singing that is nevertheless full of an unbelievable and unexplainable pathos. And the laughters that she bursts into at some point are the best witness to the homage that many musicians wanted to dedicate to her. Together with the songs, you'll listen to chats and comments and jokes and if you have a computer, you'll be able to have a look at the pictures and films shot at this special party. The CD opens, to our delight, with a brief introduction to African flavours as an appetizer with "Fife And Drum Intro". The merit is Shade Turner's (great Otha's grandaughter) and Rising Star Fife & Drum Corps. It is really nice to think that Otha Turner's legacy is not lost for good. Off we go then with other tracks "Lay My Burder Down", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", "Old Time Religion"…

Needless to say that such a string of successes stands for its own as a quality brand. This music is simply pulsing, full of passion and simple rhythms just like a thumping heart. There are no specifics as to who, among the guest stars, is playing in which tracks, so amuse yourself at finding Kenny Brown's slide or a Junior Kimbrough's rhythmic or never-stopping drums in front of Cedric Burnside's cat-like sneer. What is most important is the final outcome: incredible.

After the sad and slow keys of "Motherless Children" we are out of disk one and we wonder what more disk 2 is able to offer. In this second part, Jessie Mae is playing three songs of her own, on e composed by Ruthie Foster and the traditional "Swing Low". You easily slide from a spiritual atmosphere to the one of northern Mississippi. Maybe also you'll be surprised by the length of the first two tracks (12 minutes "God Is Good To Me" and 23 "Treat Me Right"). Are you afraid of getting bored? Never been so wrong. Both tracks start with a guitar and voice in sheer country-blues style. Then other instruments sneak into it and after getting used to it and being bewitched by the hypnotic sound of these keys, you'll realise that 23 minutes are so short and you almost regret the song is to an end.

I conclude by hinting at "Porch Logic Remix". In which, as the title is suggesting, the delta blues is dressed with various electronic jokes I guess you know what I mean if you think of Fat Possum's, Fedora's and other labels' experiments of this kind. Well, to tell the truth the CD recorder version is undoubtedly surpassed by the PC and audio bonus track which is to be counted in the special features. The song is the same, but it is longer and the two elements it is composed of, are better blended. Enough for now, it's time for you too to join the party with "Dare You Do It Again".