In 1938, Big Joe Duskin was seventeen years old and at odds with his 79 year old preacher-father, Reverend Perry Duskin, who did not want his son playing “the Devil’s music.” Figuring that his father couldn’t possibly be too long for this world, Big Joe promised his father that he would not play the blues until his father was dead and gone. Amazingly, Big Joe Duskin did not play the blues again until 1963, when Perry Duskin passed away at the ripe old age of 105!

Big Joe Jumps Again! is Big Joe Duskin’s third studio recording and his first since 1988. Backed by a rhythm section that includes Ed Conley on bass and Philip Paul on drums, the 16 song recording includes guest appearances bass player Larry Nager who sits in on “Black Mountain Blues” and Big Bill Broonzy’s classic “Key to the Highway;” Cincinnati vocalist Shawna Snyder on “black Mountain Blues;” and William Lee Ellis who provides guitar on “Betty and Dupree”: and “”Key to the Highway.” Topping off the guest list on Big Joe Jumps Again!, is none other than former Humble Pie guitarist Peter Frampton who provides guitar on Memphis Slim’s “Every Day I Have the Blues” and who joins the ensemble on “Key to the Highway.”

Big Joe mercilessly pounds the 88s throughout Big Joe Jumps Again! demonstrating the influence of his personal heroes Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and Meade Lux Lewis. The CD features only two originals by Big Joe; “Mean & Strange” and a song that obviously talks about Rev. Perry entitled “The Preacher and the Devil’s Music.” However, Big Joe does justice in interpreting songs by Lowell Fulson, Memphis Slim, Roosevelt Sykes, Memphis Minnie, Big Bill Broonzy, Lucille Bogan, Johnny Horton and others.

After opening with an abbreviated rendition of Lowell Fulson’s “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” Big Joe dives into a great version of Memphis Slim’s “Everyday I Have the Blues” complete with some very bluesy guitar by Peter Frampton who does a nice tribute to the style of B. B King.

When you get right down to it, the best songs on this CD are the ones where Big Joe tinkles the ivories with only Conley and Paul backing him up, leaving Big Joe to carry the tunes with his incredible piano and great vocals. On songs like Roosevelt Sykes’ “Get Out of My Way;” Memphis Minnie’s “One Dirty Rat;” and Dukin’s original composition. “Mean & Strange,” Big Joe’s talents as a performer really stand out.

After a version of Johnny Horton’s “North to Alaska,” that is best described as interesting, Big Joe proceeds to tell a story about his father, Joe’s love of the blues, and the father-son conflict that Joe’s passion caused. The story is followed by a continuation of the opening number “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone,” perhaps a reference to the love Big Joe and Rev. Perry had for each other in life and death. Big Joe Jumps Again! closes out with an obvious tribute to Reverend Perry as Joe closes with a brief instrumental version of the spiritual “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.”

Big Joe Duskin’s latest, Big Joe Jumps Again!, shows that even though Big Joe has not visited the studio since 1988, he hasn’t lost a thing in terms of his talent as a piano player and vocalist. This recording easily puts Big Joe in the same category as his idols, as well as any of the other great blues piano players from yesterday and today. To find out more about Big Joe Duskin, check him out on the Yellow Dog Records website at www.yellowdogrecords.com/bigjoeduskin.

"This review is copyright © 2005 by Dave “Doc” Piltz, and Blues On Stage at: www.mnblues.com, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without permission." Used with permission.