Every small town has that one restaurant that always serves everything just the way you like it. These are the joints we often gravitate to because they feel like a moment in time, a source of comfort and tradition. In a musical sense, the North Mississippi Allstars are this restaurant as they have spent over twenty years serving up their take on the Hill Country blues they were raised on. Fronted by the Dickinson brothers Luther and Cody, these guys are tireless advocates of the real thing. Even when they have an album comprised of new tunes – as with their impressive 2022 album Set Sail – they often prefer to serve up the classics in the live setting in the way they know you’ll like it, with the occasional loving personal touch of course. On Thursday, June 22nd, they did exactly that when they took Portland, Oregon to church (literally) at the Alberta Abbey.
When it comes to a North Mississippi Allstars show, there are tunes you can always count on. What keeps things exciting is the way Luther always seems to be tinkering with these tunes and finding new ways to present them through his guitar solos. Taking the stage as a lean trio with Ray Ray Holloman on bass and lap steel (later in the show), the perpetually smiling Luther let Holloman fire up a thick bassy intro to kick off “Sitting On Top of the World” as he began to jive on the guitar. He would drop into a lower octave for part of the solo on “Goin’ Down South,” playing to an intimate crowd who gathered close to the stage. “Never In All My Days” was an early highlight as the band played it raw and loose in true juke joint fashion, while “Up and Rolling” provided a colorful contrast with its easygoing country hippie vibe that Luther accentuated with a fluttery solo to mimic the curling smoke off a joint in the sunshine. The band got slow and funky with “Set Sail part I” as Luther paddled his way through a deliciously quiet and intricate solo to complement the tune’s soulful undertones. Another Hill Country staple that kept the party moving was the R.L Burnside number “Skinny Woman,” with Luther giving it fresh life as he soared away with a majestic slide guitar solo before veering into psychedelic space.
The beauty of a North Mississippi Allstars show is the way the band – no matter the lineup – can present moments of Southern comfort and fun alongside serious musical chops. Case in point was the newer tune “Juicy Juice” – a laid back ode to boozing – easing into the stomping blues-rock of “Snack Drive” that showcased the power these musicians can manifest. Whatever the setting is, the Dickinson brothers always look like they are having the best show of their lives. This was clear on tunes like “Mississippi Boll Weevil” played disco blues style with an exuberant beat, a version of “Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down” that featured solid rhythmic backing from Ray Ray and Cody as Luther weaved in and out with a feel good jam, and “Shake What Your Mama Gave You” being propelled by a smooth bass solo. Playing well over two hours non-stop, the band reached a spiritual high point when Ray Ray produced a lap steel to complement the sweet boogie of the newer song “Didn’t We Have a Time” to give it that angelic, gospel-inflected quality, the kind of country blues jam fit for a church. Whether it was these new songs or longtime Hill Country blues favorites written by them or their idols, the members of the North Mississippi Allstars seemed happy to serve up a reliably excellent set of music in Portland.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
