Luther's Lifesongbook

“I think we’re just a rock and roll band,” Luther Dickinson tells those who would label his North Mississippi Allstars a blues outfit. But on his latest solo project, Blues and Ballads: A Folksinger's Songbook Vol I &II, Dickinson exhibits a side heavily influenced by blues and folk, but not fully belonging to either category. It's sweetened more than his usual blend of hill country drone and rock, often sounding more gospel oriented than anything he's done to date, solo or with the band.