A scion of the Burnside family from Holly Springs, Cedric Burnside keeps the North Mississippi hill country blues alive. A style that was practiced by his grandfather
R.L. Burnside, who in turn was apprenticed to
Missississippi Fred McDowell. Hill country blues is characterized by rhythmic and monotone guitar playing and rousing vocals that, more than, say, delta blues, harkens back to the African
… roots of its inventors. Raw music that hardly relies on technique and mostly makes itself felt. Cedric Burnside played drums with his grandfather, among others, but sings and plays guitar on his own albums. On Hill Country Love, he shows that funk and hip-hop are also indebted to the blues. In a small lineup of two guitars and drums (sometimes supplemented by harmonica), each song sets up another groove that will boil and steam under Burnside's enthusiastic vocals. Uplifting African-American roots music. (MR)more
