As the blues revival continues, it’s refreshing to see a renewed interest from a younger, and new generation of black men and women. And with Eric Bibb, it becomes quite apparent that his roots are deeply grounded in traditional American blues. However, on this recording he goes one step further; mixing gospel and blues hand in hand. The connection has always been there from the beginning. In fact, many of the older singers and performers were former preachers, and vice a versa. Like many artists before him, Eric has chosen to live outside the USA, and has adopted Sweden, as home base. The freedom of movement and experimentation in his music is an avenue that he can explore, and he has found a very strong following in Europe. He began a highly successful stateside tour in February 1999, winning countless fans almost overnight. There is something for everybody on this disc, be it gospel, blues, or rock—and that is the beauty of Bibb. With 15 tracks to choose from, I couldn’t lay a finger on any one song. However, the tracks with The Deacons gospel choir are hard to beat. Highly recommended.
This review is copyright © 1999 by Dick Houff, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved.
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