Listening to Blues Came To Georgia is akin to having warm pecan pie and Blue Mountain coffee. You want to gorge yourself yet know it can be too sweet. This is not the sugarcoated variety often pushed out to an unsuspecting public as roots music. Each artist and song represents the richness of Georgia's Blues history. It reflects and celebrates Georgia's contribution to Blues. Minimalism is the forte of all but two of the thirteen men and women performing. In ths case less is more. Only Beverly Guitar Watkins' Miz Dr. Feelgood and Eddie Tigner's CC Rider have more than guitar,
piano and vocals. Over arranging makes these two pieces feel the most un-blues like.
Simplicity and the minimal use of instruments make this an exciting CD. It is an old-fashioned type of music one or two musicians sitting on a back porch telling stories. It is a mood evoking production. Precious Bryant's haunting Fever plays with your
powers of memory reminding you of what was or what you think was. Neal Pattman's vocals and harp on Market Blues is counter to its title. He may be alone and have no money but he's the happiest man in town. It reminds of me of a Jimmy Reed's song Help
Yourself that fosters the notion one can be happy if he or she so decides. Simplicity is really showcased in Rain In Your Life, by Essie Mae Brooks. It's just her. Her message is the rain makes you appreciate the sunshine. Humor reigns through Wiila Mae Buckner's Yo-Yo. Her running line is Baby let me play with yo yo-yo and I'll let you play with mine. The laughs continue with If You Don't Love Me, Would You Fool Me Good, done by Precious Bryant.
However the best song on the album has no words, Georgia Drumbeat. Guitarist James Davis and drummer Gilbert Henderson give you a song that gets your feet tapping. It's a march and one finds the spirit just falling in tune with Davis and Henderson. Based on old drum and fife melodies it stings, zings and sings. It's a rich heavy song. It's that extra slice of pecan pie one shouldn't have but must. Yet even after hearing this piece one wants more. In true African American tradition they've revived a musical form that one doesn't hear too much especially out of the South. My heart soared when I first heard this piece and it continues to do so. This is the whipped cream on top of the
already rich pecan pie.
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