Review: Mississippi MacDonald – Call me Mississippi
Mississippi MacDonald – Call Me Mississippi
Format: CD – Digital / Label: APM Records
Release: 2024
Text: Pascal Wilhelm
‘Call Me Mississippi’ is an all-acoustic album featuring Phil Dearing on guitar. The album was recorded to celebrate Mississippi MacDonald’s nomination in the UK Blues Federation Awards for Acoustic Blues act of the Year. In the end, he received two awards: Acoustic Act of the Year and another for Traditional Blues Artist of the Year.
Oliver MacDonald (“Olly” to his friends) started playing the guitar when he was 11 years old. He grew up in the grunge and Britpop era, but he was more interested in what was in his parents’ record collection: B.B. King, Al Green and other classic American blues and soul artists. Because of this interest, friends gave him the nickname “Mississippi.” He travelled the US extensively to learn the ropes, meeting blues men like Pinetop Perkins, Otis Clay and B.B. King.
Soul is also a big influence in his work, he even recorded with the Hi Rhythm section, the backing band of the likes of Al Green, Ann Peebles and O.V. Wright (“life changing”, he says). The result will be released also this year (‘Mississippi MacDonald with Hi Rhythm’).
I believe ‘Call Me Mississippi’ is his ninth record since 2014, so he is quite productive. He has been working hard to develop himself first and after the pandemic, he raised his game, signed to the Another Planet Music label and got booked beyond the local pub and club circuit. Here is a man on a mission who takes his business seriously.
I appreciate that MacDonald mostly writes his own songs, also publishing lyrics on his website.
From Heavy state loving blues:
I could eat a chili pepper without taking a drink,
I could make a philosopher sit down and think,
I would take a river to cool my raging thirst,
I could fight a lion, and he would come out worst
Now that is some lyric! Highly recommended to learn about his work.
Tracks:
01. Could Have Been Alright
02. Blind Leading The Blind
03. Blues For Nick
04. Call Me Mississippi
05. Pike Place Blues
06. I Was Wrong
07. Heavy State Loving Blues
08. Heading South
09. Devil’s Chain
10. Black Snake Brown
Website: https://mississippimacdonald.com/