MUD MORGANFIELD & KIM WILSON

For Pops: A Tribute to Muddy Waters

Severn

14 tracks, 47 minutes 

By Leslie Keros

When the son of Muddy Waters salutes his father, people are expected to take notice. And when the son sounds so much like his father, the homage becomes all the more striking. For Pops: A Tribute to Muddy Waters is a thoughtfully constructed, deeply felt paean to the man many consider the embodiment of Chicago blues.

For this tribute, Mud Morganfield partners with harpist Kim Wilson, who befriended Muddy Waters back in the mid-seventies after opening for him at Antone’s in Austin, Texas. Like the other bluesmen on this session, Wilson is keenly aware of the sacred ground he’s treading. The same can be said for the album’s producers, David Earl and Steve Gomes. The musicians they’ve handpicked are not only thoroughly versed in Muddy’s canon but, at least as important, play cohesively as a unit: Billy Flynn and Rusty Zinn on guitar and Barrelhouse Chuck on piano, along with the anchoring rhythm section of Gomes on bass and Robb Stupka on drums.

But perhaps no one is more aware of the significance of the occasion than Mud Morganfield himself, who treated the session as an opportunity to honor his father’s centennial next year. As anyone who has heard him can attest, Mud Morganfield bears an uncanny vocal resemblance to Muddy Waters, both in timbre and in phrasing. Mud has studied and absorbed his father’s style, and the full immersion he’s experienced enriches his performance of the songs his father made famous.

And what a set list it is. All the songs on For Pops formed part of Muddy’s oeuvre, but not all of them are equally known. There are plenty of old favorites here, such as “I Want You to Love Me,” “Nineteen Years Old,” “Blow Wind Blow,” “Trouble No More,” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” The instant recognizability of these tunes and the authenticity of the band’s performance—Kim Wilson’s work is conspicuously good here—make for a transformative experience. These renditions are not carbon copies, yet they are so faithful that they make you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.

Woven in among these tunes are lesser-known gems that haven’t been recorded much and are worth rediscovering. The album opens not with a time-tested warhorse but with “Gone to Main Street,” an original composition that Muddy recorded in 1952. Midway through the session, we’re treated to “She’s Got It,” a St. Louis Jimmy Oden tune that Muddy cut in 1958, and “My Dog Can’t Bark,” composed by Otis “Big Smokey” Smothers and recorded by Muddy in 1965.

Throughout the album, Mud Morganfield’s voice sounds like his father’s, but there are differences. Muddy had a knowing, effortless way of singing and a luxurious depth to his low baritone. Mud’s tone is somewhat less rich, and sometimes, staying on pitch or controlling his voice can seem a stretch.

With For Pops, Mud has extended a deep, lasting bow to his father. After several earlier recordings that include generous helpings of Muddy tunes, it’s interesting at this juncture to contemplate what Mud will do next. Perhaps he’ll honor Muddy’s legacy in an unexpected fashion, further carving out his own niche while keeping those hundred candles burning bright.

Leslie Keros hosts two weekly Saturday night blues shows on WDCB radio (90.9 FM): Chicago Bound and Messin’ With The Blues.