Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm

2 Man Wrecking Crew (Delta Groove Music)

Under the tutelage of grandfather R.L. Burnside and fellow North Mississippi players Otha Turner and Junior Kimbrough, Cedric Burnside learned at a young age that you “Don’t Just Sing About the Blues.” You gotta live them. On his latest, 2 Man Wrecking Crew, the method’s ancient, but the full-bodied singer/drummer teams with Delta guitarist Steve “Lightnin'” Malcolm for 14 original tracks that put a spin on the blueprint. While Cedric lays out childhood folklore (“R.L. Burnside”), Malcolm picks with a minimalism that cuts through Dan Auerbach-ian drone (“So Much Love”). “Stay Here in Your Arms” swings evenly on a backbeat. Three tracks pit the axe-man on Dobro vs. the haunted wailing of Bekka Bramlett and Etta Britt on the Burnside-penned “She’s Got Somethin’ on Me.” Like grandfather, like grandson, this 2 Man Wrecking Crew proves there’s no sense messing with a good thing. (Burnside & Malcolm headline the Continental Club Friday, Jan. 9.)

***

This article appears in January 9 • 2009.

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

SUPPORT US