My girlfriend bought this for me, knowing that I like blues. And that's essentially what this is, a blues album. Tracks such as 'Prophet's mission' have the syncopated rolling beats of trace blues that are the north missisipi roots of becomes R&B in the modern puff daddy etc sense.
Suprises such as 'Bow Legged Charlie' reminds me of Ray Charles in his western mode - indeed, the same Ray Charles of the piano blues and blues brothers released several country and western albums in the 70s and some tracks here are similar in flavour, a funkified country music that reclaims the influence that black musicians had on the earliest white country folk.
Indeed, 'recapturing the banjo' is all about that - the sleeve notes describe how the Banjo originated as an African instrument and was appropriated by white players. Ths will come a suprise to those (myself included) who assumed that the banjo was the either the preserve of pink faced yodelling cowboys or hairy appalachian rednecks.
This is an album demonstrating that the banjo is indeed as funky as a purple telecaster - or a depression era Gibson 6 string. Anyone not convinced by this hypothesis should listen to tracks such as 'five hundred roses' and bear in mind the similarity to Tinariwen (the North African supergroup with fans like Robert Plant and Carlos Santana). Both employ the banjo or banjo like instruments as a counterpoint to the dry soil thrubbing of a trance blues rhythm section. Yet Unlike Tinariwen, Otis delivers lyrics in English, which add to the hypnotic effect, the repetition and affirmation that gives blues much of it's power.
Honestly, buy it - pour yourself a coffee and kick back, and grab the blues, OOOwwwyes.
