SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY

Easy Livin’

Blind Pig

By Mike O’Cull

            The American South is a unique region of the world boasting many flavors – with a culture and attitude that are all its own. Anyone who has spent time there knows that Southern flavor is hard to define, easy to notice, and sweet to the taste. This is also the case with new roots music supergroup Southern Hospitality. Comprised of performers who have all made marks of their own, the band packs a punch in both the playing and writing departments and has created a debut record, Easy Livin’ on the well-loved Blind Pig imprint, that is easily one of the best blues-related efforts of the year. The three principal musicians in Southern Hospitality are each bandleaders and recording artists in their own right and putting these guys together makes for an unstoppable session.

            Those three musicians are Damon Fowler, JP Soars, and Victor Wainwright. Fowler, a Florida native, is an up-and-coming master of guitar, lap steel, and dobro as well as an expressive vocalist who has been gigging since his teen years and releasing records since 1999. His releases on Blind Pig feature blues, country, and soul influences combined to great effect and are essential listening for modern roots fans. JP Soars, also from Florida, is a guitarist and songwriter to be reckoned with who has skills ranging from gypsy jazz to death metal (for real) and has been blowing up in the blues world in recent years. His solo albums have gotten much acclaim and he won the International Blues Challenge in 2009, as well as the Albert King Award as the best guitar player in the competition. Savannah, GA native Victor Wainwright is all about boogie woogie piano, deep soul, and a voice that recalls Dr. John at his best. He is a rising blues star, a tremendous player, and an air traffic controller down in Memphis in his spare time.

            The cool thing about this combination of players is that each person brings to the party a mixed bag of influences rather than a purists’ attitude towards the music. Put all those flavors together and the sky is literally the limit. Nothing is off limits here and listeners are treated to tastes of swampy blues, western swing, and even a bit of reggae through the course of the album, which, not incidentally, was produced by Louisiana man Tab Benoit, who we already know and love. Each player brought in their own songs to the project and they also wrote a couple together and that adds a lot to this set, too, as the different writing voices prevent the record from getting boring. Bassist Chuck Riley and drummer Chris Peet do a great job giving all this talent something to flow over and add much to the proceedings with their deep pocket and groove. Drop the needle on this anywhere you please, but some standout cuts are “Southern Livin’’’, “Mile After Mile,” “Long Way Home” and “Don’t Feel Like Going There Today”.

            This sort of stylistic combining is the future of American roots music, at least to this reviewer. No one will ever beat the masters at their own game and all the purist stuff is kind of done to death. This record is a set of songs that pack much individual character and flavor and are not mere nods to tradition. The tradition is clearly evident, but Southern Hospitality takes it a few steps further and, by the mere act of doing what the band is doing, just might establish a new tradition of its own.

###