Just like the flame-shrouded voodoo woman rising out of the mists of a Mississippi cotton field on the album's cover, Elam McKnight's "Supa Good," on Desert Highway Records, is full of music that will reach down and grab your spirit and shake your soul to its foundation. It's been our pleasure to know Elam since his first recording, "Braid My Hair," and his talents have only gotten better. On this smokin' set, he pays homage to those from whom he has learned the meaning of the blues, greats such as R. L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner, among others. Check out "Mighty Men" for his tribute to them. Also, he's backed by a sho' nuff band of rogues named the West Levee Phantoms, and they include Ringo Jukes and Sam Carr on drums, Dano Shaw on bass, Ronnie Godfrey on keys, Kim Morrison on backing vocals, and Elam's recording partner on their acoustic sets and at the IBC, Britain's Keith Carter, on harp.
Elam's maturity as a writer and performer show thru markedly on this disc. He's got that certain swagger that seems to carry these tunes from the Delta juke joints right into your CD player. A good woman that's got "Kung Fu Power" starts off slow, then builds to a searing finish, featuring a fine solo at the bridge. Elam's mandolin takes the lead in the acoustic-themed "Long Curly Hair," with Keith's harp the perfect complement. "Hold You Closer" has a cool, soulful vibe, and with the punchy horn section and backing female chorus, gives this one a STAX feeling. A brilliant slide rolls over Keith's harp as Elam gets down with "What In The World Is Wrong," while everybody has a good time on "Pony Thang," rolling it like a locomotive thru the Clarksdale night.
We had two favorites, too. When a black cat comes after you, the best thing to do is bury it, so, complete with blasts from Elam's Browning 12-gauge (that, sadly, "lack reverb") we have "I Buried a Black Cat." And, Elam professes his intense adoration of Seventies "blaxploitation" film star Pam Grier, noting that "Foxy Brown is the sweetest woman I've ever seen!!" This one is punctuated by some killer "ho' house piano" from Ronnie Godfrey, too!
The very opening line of the CD, from "Devil Minded Woman," has Elam telling us that "a change is gon' come--a music revolution!"--and by the end of "Big Daddy's Lament," that closes the set, this prophecy is brought to fruition. Elam stresses that he's not merely following in the footsteps of the past masters, but looking "to see what they saw" and interpret it in his own way. Young men such as Elam, Richard Johnston, and the surviving members of the Burnside, Kimbrough, and Turner families, have a firm grasp on the meaning of the blues, and, more importantly, what the blues means to them. Elam, we tip our hats to you, young man....."Supa Good" is just that!!! Until next time...Sheryl and Don Crow.
NEW REVIEWS for SUPA GOOD:
Supa Good.
While it's one thing to call your latest CD Supa Good, it's another matter entirely to live up to that claim.
But like a (in)famous cornerback in the NFL with the marquee-grabbing moniker of Prime Time used to say, "It ain't bragging if you can back it up."
And while it may seem like Elam McKnight must have a huge set of stones for labeling his third CD Supa Good, let me tell you, it ain't bragging, cause McKnight and his troops certainly back it up.
In Spades.
After releasing his first two discs, Braid My Hair and Last Country Store, the latter an acoustic-type effort that paired the dynamic young bluesman with UK harmonica great Keith Carter, McKnight seems intent on shaking up the establishment with Supa Good.
Wound throughout the 16 tracks that make up Supa Good is an underlying theme of revolution, paved by looking back in order to see the future.
McKnight, while obviously a historian and keeper of the flame for those that came before him, has no intention of hitching his wagon solely to the past, rather he seems determined to roll up his sleeves in search of something that is anything but the "same-old, same-old."
Brilliant.
But knowing that McKnight considers R.L. Burnside's 1996 CD A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey to be the Holy Grail of the blues, (as well it is) it's no surprise that Supa Good should find its own spot on the great, big book shelf of the blues, adding new chapters along the way.
For not only does McKnight freely channel the sound of the late, great Burnside along with fellow Hill Country Godfather Junior Kimbrough, he has honed in on the attitude also,sounding like he just stepped out of the backdoor of a Holly Springs BBQ joint straight into the recording studio. Equipped with not only his Silvertone guitar, but with a Browning semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun, to boot. One can almost imagine Kimbrough burnishing such a firearm to quell an unruly crowd at his famous juke joint on a Sunday night, as McKnight ends the third track on the disc, "I Buried A Black Cat" by letting fly with some hot lead from said Browning, and then exclaiming, "I think the shotgun needs more reverb."
Vocals, guitars, mandolin, tambourine, snare and Browning shotgun, McKnight seems at home whatever instrument rests in his hands.
Revolution, indeed.
McKnight and his West Levee Phantoms, including the red-hot Carter on harp, along with legendary skin-pounder Ringo Jukes on drums and Dano Shaw on bass, deliver a most satisfying blend of old-school Delta blues with a sort of 22nd-Century feel, mixed with a DIY punk-kind of ethos. Jumping from a straight-ahead shuffle to a breakneck, out-of-control, 4-4 on-the-floor rock thing, sometimes within the same song, McKnight and crew keep things interesting from the get-go.
The disc opens with "Devil Minded Woman," starting out like a Burlington Northern engine gathering steam as McKnight fires the opening salvo - "I think I hear a change gonna come." That change does indeed come as the locomotive rattles on, chugging along like a train bound for Clarksdale, Miss. But that train also sounds like might just jump the track at any second, building speed as snippets of fife music - ala the late Otha Turner, show up to speed things along. In the end, however, conductor Carter keeps the train firmly on pace with his outstanding harp work, giving the tune an element of danger missing from a lot of contemporary blues.
Such is Supa Good.
And just when you think you've heard it all, McKnight calls up the Coup De Gras via the disc's closing track.
All 5:39 of "Big Daddy's Lament" are heartfelt minutes, as McKnight rap-sings-talks his way through a litany of people who not only have influenced his work, but also have supported him on what at times has been a rocky road to where he is at today. Most notable in McKnight's thanks is the afore-mentioned Burnside, the "Big Daddy" in the title of the song. McKnight shouts Burnside's praises of the very top of the church spire, saying "I call him Teacher, 'cause he took my soul to school."
All-in-all, whether showing much love for Hill Country legends, or "Pam Grier," or just flat getting down on Son House's "Pony Thang," McKnight's Supa Good is just that, Supa Good.
And like the man says, "It ain't bragging if you can back it up."
Here's hoping McKnight finds the bright spotlight of Prime Time in the near future of what looks to be a long career in the blues. For as McKnight says, quoting the immortal Red, owner and operator of Red's Lounge in Clarksdale, ""This music game is on for life."
---Terry Mullins
Fantastic effort from young generation roots music master...
This album is great, highly recommended to blues fans, roots afficianados, hill country blues devotees, etc. Elam has put a great deal of effort into this CD, and it shows...Walk, don't run, to your nearest music retailer and purchase "SUPA GOOD."
--- Terry Buckalew Host (Delta Sounds Radio) Helena, AR
Supa Good and Elam McKnight is the future of the Blues! And don't let the skin color fool you as he is real deal old time Mississippi Blues with a modern touch. The music is in good hands with the likes of Elam.
Robert Lynn
Host of the Back Alley Blues Show on KSPQ
"Strap in. Elam McKnight has returned to the recording scene with a vengeance. After his more sedate acoustic team-up with Keith Carter, McKnight has roared back with Supa Good (Desert Highway), a wild and wooly gumbo of 21st Century Hill Country Blues that grabs you by the throat from the first track and hangs on for a solid hour."
Graham Clarke
Elam McKnight is Supa Dupa Good!
Review by Rick Saunders
"Elam Mcnight's music is filled with shoutin' and singin', fat flat foot stompin' and leering dirty preachin' grooves that roll and tumble and crawl their way thru fifty-some years of red dirt, swampy, back porch blues, basement funque, rattle trunk hip-hop haze, deep woods hunch, small town 'tonk n' juke and big city rock and swagger. Mr. Mcknight filters it through well worn rough cotton sugar and grit sacks and tennesee sun and sweat to deliver up a sound that's both familiar, full bodied, refreshing and fine. It's good time any night party music as well as sitting home drinkin' and thinkin' music."
Painting by Brandy Kayzakian-Rowe
TOUR DATES
Attention Booking and Concert Promoters
Hit Here For Electronic Press Kit
YOU CAN WATCH AT THIS LINK AND CONTROL SCREEN SIZE
This Music Video comprises footage from Elam and Keith's performance at the 2005 Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, MS and the Alan Lomax Film "The Land Where Blues Began." Few figures deserve greater credit for the preservation of America's folk music traditions than Alan Lomax. Scouring the backroads, honky tonks and work camps of the Deep South, he unearthed a treasure trove of songs and singers, documenting the music of the common man for future generations to discover; through Lomax's pioneering efforts, cultural traditions ranging from the Delta blues to Appalachian folk to field hollers continue to live on, with his invaluable recordings offering a compelling portrait of times and cultures otherwise long gone.
ELAM MCKNIGHT: Braid My Hair
Blues rock all the way. Elam McKnight's song writing talent is more than evident and take this CD release to the room of fine listening. Elam sings with everything he has to offer. Blues never felt so good. (4 out of 5 stars)"
---Roots Music Report
BUY DIGITAL DOWNLOADS FOR THOSE NEW MP3 Players at the following:
King Biscuit Radio SHOW now on the MUSIC PAGE! This was ELam and Keith's first appearance on the KING BISCUIT RADIO HOUR with Sonny Payne. Scroll down and give it a listen!
VOTE - September 10, 2008
Question 2 Are you going to vote?
Regardless of who you vote for, what your stance is, and/or what you need right now what are you prepared to do about it? Do not sit on your hands and do not complain if you do not even bother to engage in this RIGHT bestowed to you so many years before! If you know someone eligible but has not registered get a voter registration card to them, get them to fill it out, and mail it, like yesterday!
This is your VOICE. Please use it.
Elam McKnight Blues Song of the YEAR! - May 22, 2008
Elam McKnight’s “Devil Minded Woman” Voted by Fans as Best Blues Song of 2008!
Category: Music
Elam McKnight's "Devil Minded Woman" Voted by Fans as Best Blues Song of 2008!
May 21, 2008
For Immediate Release
For More Information Contact:
Desert Highway Music
5776-D Lindero Cyn Rd. 446
Westlake Village, CA 91367
(310) 966-0538
ernest@deserthighwayrecords.com
Elam McKnight's "Devil Minded Woman" was voted by fans as the Best Blues song in the Musician's Atlast sponsored 7th Annual Independent Music Awards. Elam was selected from among thousands of applicants as a finalist by a celebrity panel of judges that included Snoop Dogg, Wynona, Norah Jones, and Tom Waits among others. He was then selected from the more than 35,000 fans who voted as the top blues song of the year. Read below for the official announcement.
Congrats to the 7th Annual IMA Vox Populi Winners:
THE FANS HAVE SPOKEN: 7th Annual IMA Vox Populi Winners Announced
There are winners and there are winners.
Each year, Music Resource Group assembles a panel of esteemed Artist and Industry judges to determine the Winners & Finalists of the Independent Music Awards. Recognizing that ultimately it's the voice/choice of the people that matters most to an artist's career, the IMA Vox Populi poll was added in 2006 to allow music fans to pick their favorites.
This year, over 37,000 votes from around the globe were cast in this year's "people's choice" component of the IMAs for all music, video, art & swag categories. Now the votes are in, tabulated and the winners of the IMA Vox Populi popular vote are...Below is the list of Vox Populi Winners.
The following artists marked with ** won both Judges & Vox Populi poll.
IMA VOX POPULI SONG WINNERS:
**ALT. COUNTRY: Yarn (NY, USA) "No Future Together"
AMERICANA: Spring Creek Bluegrass Band (CO, USA) "High Up in the Mountains"
BLUES: Elam McKnight (TN, USA) "Devil Minded Woman"
CHILDREN'S MUSIC: Lanny Sherwin (CA, USA) "Stinky Feet"
CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN: Katy Kinard (CO, USA) "Worth the Love"
COUNTRY: Chris Gray (TN, USA) "Stop & Drink It Over"
DANCE/ELECTRONICA: Palanke Soultribe (CA, USA) "Tropic N' Heaven"
**FILM/ TV / MULTIMEDIA SOUNDTRACK: Jennifer Kreisberg (CT, USA) "Have Hope" from Unnatural & Accidental
FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER: Amit Erez (Tel Aviv, Israel) "Postcard"
GOSPEL: Ladd Bogdonoff (CA, USA) "God Will Make a Way"
**HARD ROCK/METAL: Plok (Odense, Denmark) "I Do NOT Live in a Condo"
JAM: Wassabi Collective –(BC, Canada) "Blues On My Mind"
JAZZ: Samson Trinh (VA, USA) "I Can't Believe I'm Addicted To The O.C."
LATIN: Pepe Alva (FL, USA) "A Querer"
NEW AGE: Akiko/Firebird 999 (CA, USA) "Tea Drops from the Skye"
POP/ROCK: The Dollyrots (CA, USA) "Because I'm Awesome"
PUNK: Scott & Aimee (CA, USA) "Miss America"
R&B: Mae Gee (CA, USA) "Can't Let Go"
**RAP/ HIP-HOP: Animate Objects (IL, USA) "El Dorado"
SOCIAL ACTION: Dean Murray (Levin, New Zealand) "Gas is Gone"
**WORLD FUSION: Luca Mundaca (OH, USA) "Ha Dias"
WORLD TRADITIONAL: Jamie Laval and Ashley Broder (NC, USA) "Levantine's 'Spinning' Barrel"
Juke Joint Fest Article by Terry Mullins - May 12, 2008
04.19
Billed as "half small town fair, half blues festival," by its organizers, the Juke Joint Festival, run by the Clarksdale Downtown Development Association and staffed entirely by volunteers, was started five years ago to educate and enlighten through a series of performances, exhibits and presentations involving music, art, storytelling, film and children's events. In other words, a great way to celebrate all things Delta while partying with blues fans from all across the globe. The afternoon was filled with pig races, dog shows, parades and a trip through the world famous Delta Blues Museum. But, the true heart of the Juke Joint Festival starts beating as the sun sets on the Sunflower River and the revelry moves inside to the still-thriving juke joints that dot the landscape of downtown Clarksdale. Places like Ground Zero Blues Club, Messenger's Pool Hall, Club 2000 and the venerable Reds Lounge - places that still host real-deal live blues year round, helping to preserve the art in its native form, long after the festival crowds are gone.
Delivered by characters with colorful names like Duck, T-Model, Cadillac, Bilbo and Super Chikan, most of the performers at the Juke Joint Festival had some kind of bond with the city of Clarksdale, either past or present. But, none of the bluesmen at this year's celebration were any more colorful or could claim any longer link to the city than 93-year-old David "Honeyboy" Edwards. One of the last living running buddies of the legendary Robert Johnson, Edwards is still every bit the road warrior he was some seven decades ago when he tramped all across the United States with a guitar strapped to his back. And despite the warm temperatures that engulfed the festival's late afternoon hours, Edwards was still in fine form, turning in a set heavy with numbers from his fourth release on Earwig Music, Roamin' and Ramblin'. Watching Edwards is very much like viewing a Technicolor news reel from an era long ago, an oral history lesson in every single note he coaxes from his acoustic guitar.
David "Honeyboy" Edwards :: 04.19 :: Clarksdale, MS
Though its forefathers are naturally in rapid decline, the blues continue to evolve and press on thanks to a new generation intent on not just rehashing the past but rather on building off the foundation left from those before them. Jimbo Mathus and Knockdown South - Elam McKnight, KM Williams and Washboard Jackson - did yeoman's work at keeping the blues alive and fresh. They all kept joints rockin' well into the Delta night at various spots around town. Just like any event worth its salt, legendary stories have already began to work their way into Juke Joint Festival lore. Like last year when My Brother's Sports Bar was so jam-packed with dancers strutting their stuff that they accidentally shoved guitarist Lightnin' Malcom out the plate glass front window, headfirst onto the sidewalk running along Third Street. But, like any band worth its salt, drummer Cedric Burnside(grandson of the late Hill County patriarch R.L. Burnside) kept four-on-the-floor through it all, while Lightnin' picked himself up, brushed the shards of broken glass out of his hair, climbed back through the remains of the window and onto the bandstand, all seemingly without missing a lick.
While that may not exactly be on par with Robert Johnson selling his soul to the devil (which also supposedly happened near Clarksdale), this is how legends are sometimes built, and it's certainly how good times are born.
JamBase | Mississippi
Go See Live Music!
A side note to this article I was present the night Lightning Malcolm fell through the plate glass window. THAT IS ALL TRUE and happened just like it was reported.
