For their newest release Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias went upriver to inject some Memphis blues and soul into their New Orleans second line sound. Chip Off The Old Block finds Bo Dollis Jr. The Wild Magnolias continue cultural traditions passed down from Bo’s father, while also expanding in exciting ways.
The group recorded in Memphis with Archie “Hubbie” Turner, Rev. Charles Hodges, and Leroy Hodges of the legendary Hi Rhythm Section, adding even more history to the proceedings. For much of the record, the Black Masking Mardi Gras Indians’ sound and the slick Memphis production are kept separate, but at times they intermingle with success.
This occurs on “Dance With Me,” which aims to fill the dance floor with marching drums and percussion from the Crescent City, along with warm keys and funky guitar struts straight out of Bluff City. The exciting “Shake” pumps up dynamite slapping snare, Indian chanting vocals, grooving guitar, and electro keys. These efforts demonstrate that the musical distance between the two cities is not very significant.
The Wild Magnolias bring their hypnotic chanting and percussion to the forefront on “Indians Here Dey Come” and the closing “Indians Here Dey Come (Reprise)”. At the same time, the opening “Young Time Indians: Indian Red” lets the call-and-response party get loose around classic Wild Magnolia funk, shouting out legends of the past.
The sweet Memphis soul shines brightly on multiple efforts. The title track delivers polished blues while soulful horns and great guitar heat up “Baby You’re Cooking”. Brilliant brass drenches the soulful blues of “A Nickel and a Nail,” while “You Let A Good Thing Go Bad” just may be the best of this bunch, relishing in that classic Memphis soul soun.d
A very cool record gets a cherry on top when Anjelika Jelly Joseph stops by for a duet on the classic Otis Redding jam “Hard to Handle”, as the flirting ramps up between Bo and Jelly, Joseph tosses in a freestyle rhyme as well, mixing the past with the present. Musical cities collide, mingle, and flourish as Memphis and New Orleans make themselves known throughout Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias Chip Off The Old Block.
