“Oh I know I’d be satisfied, if I could catch a train and ride,” sings North Mississippi Allstars’ vocalist Luther Dickinson. The band, slated to perform at Rick’s Café Tuesday night, is known for its signature sound of Southern rock and laid-back jazz that makes anyone want to sit outside on a warm Mississippi night and sip lemonade. The performance is not just any other stage event but more of a celebration. The band’s appearance will coincide with the release of Hernando, the group’s fifth studio album. Dickinson, with his cool attitude and approachable personality, says the album is no different than what fans expect.
“Hernando is the most focused, most realized album we’ve done,” the singer-guitarist says. “It’s more of what we’ve done live.”
In 2000, the band released their first album Shake Hands With Shorty, which garnered them national success and a Grammy nomination. Though it did not win the Grammy, the group did take home a W.C. Handy award, which is now known as the Blues Music Awards.
Since the 2000 release, North Mississippi Allstars have completed multiple albums that have lent them even more fame and nominations.
Touring for several years before taking a break in 2007 to work on the new album allowed the group’s name to go even further in the music world. This has always been difficult for numerous Mississippi bands, but the Allstars were an exception.
Starting in 1996, the band drew its influences from sultry rock, blues and jazz. Consisting of Luther Dickinson on vocals and guitar, his brother Cody on drums and Chris Chew on bass guitar, the Allstars crafted a musical sound that was distinct among other bands of that time.
“I grew up listening to classical blues from the ’20s and ’30s,” Dickinson says.
He said he never thought he would experience blues in the ’90s. However, it has become a notable inspiration for the band’s music.
Playing rock ‘n’ roll in the beginning, the band was turned on to the diverse sound of the Mississippi area by trips to Jr.’s Juke Joint, which is noteworthy as a cultivator of Delta blues.
According to Luther, their sound changed when Chew was added to the mix. His bass helped them build a completely new style, using old and new influences to craft distinct songs.
Sophomore art major Samantha Taggart is excited about the band’s performance.
“The North Mississippi Allstars have a whimsical sound, channeling traditional Southern blues and classic jam bands with a modern twist,” Taggart said. “The best part of NMA has to be their carefree, ego-less, friendly feeling their music evokes.”
With the eclectic band is a musician from Memphis. Alvin Youngblood Hart will be the opening act for the Allstars.
Hart got his start in 1996 with Big Mama’s Door. Though a completely acoustic album, it was a ying-yang of musical expression.
Since the release, Hart has been praised by an extensive list of musicians deemed timeless, such as Eric Clapton and Ben Harper.
Youngblood’s style is classic Delta blues played with the same feracity of the blues greats. Blending spinning melodies, almost psychedelic riffs, and pure rock vocals, Alvin Youngblood Hart has won many awards and grabbed a few Grammy nominations along the way.
Coming back to their home soil, Dickinson shows his affinity for his fellow statesmen.
“We love playing for the Mississippi kids!