To the benefit of all there has been a hardy and growing band of blues guitarists dedicated to keeping classic rag and "olde timey" blues going as a viable and vital form of musical expression. Add Californian Chris Cotton to the list. The former leader of the Blue-Eyed Devils has concocted a record in Clarksdale, Mississippi as down home and redolent as a Saturday night fish fry without sounding retro or too reverent – a common error often made by otherwise well-meaning folk. In this endeavor he has empathetic assistance from producer Jimbo Mathus, a Southern bluesman who is no stranger to bending and breaking the "rules." Giving their all for the worthy project are Hamilton Rott (fiddle), Lee Williams (bass), Barry Bays (bass), Adam Woodard (piano), Olga (washboard, percussion and fiddle) and the Clarksdale Dixie Hummingbirds. Mathus also contributes tenor banjo, drums, bass throughout and slide guitar on "Goin’ Back Home." Special guest artist Big Jack Johnson likewise whips out his bottleneck for "Black Night." The former closes the house party with an elegiac feel while the latter is pure hoedown, a vamping Hill Country stomp that will have hands clapping for most of its epic 9:18 length.

Cotton has one of the most authentic blues drawls around and he uses it to fine effect throughout. With 7 of the 12 tunes being original he has lots of opportunity to wrap his flinty vocal chords around his own lyrics as amply displayed on "Morgan City," "Come On" and the title track. A demon solo acoustic picker, he magically channels Mississippi John Hurt on "Come On" while paying his props to the subtle fingerstylist with a cover of "Louis Collins" that is as gentle as water flowing in a brook. Showing no fear as an interpreter, he likewise takes on Skip James’ famous standard “I’m So Glad” and rocks out on his "box" with power (Cream who?) while performing an uncanny Nehemiah vocal.

With a world of prewar music to mine for nuggets and a talent for writing convincingly in the vernacular, Cotton has found his niche. May he and his modern day Mississippi Sheiks live long and prosper.