This CD is an exciting blend of roots rock, rockabilly, and down home southern blues. It is undoubtedly the most straight up blues disc I’ve ever heard on the Dead Reckoning label. Mike Henderson is one of the founders of othis artist-owned label which is based in the country music mecca of Nashville, Tennessee. This is a four-piece combo with Mike on lead vocals, guitars, and harmonica. Glenn Worf plays the bass, John Gardner is the drummer, and the piano is expertly handled by John Jarvis.
Henderson’s explosive harmonica kicks things off with a song called "Keep What You Got." There’s a driving beat to this song which punctuates the dominating harp. This is followed by the Eddie Clearwater classic "Wouldn’t Lay My Guitar Down." The song opens like an old delta blues tune, but then quickly changes into the Chuck Berry type rocker it was meant to be.
The first Henderson original is a slow blues ballad called "Whiskey Store." Here Henderson sings "I got a woman just like a whiskey store, just when I’ve had enough she’s got me coming back for more." To me, and I mean this as a compliment, Henderson’s vocals sound a lot like Jimmie Vaughan. Next up is a rollicking melody called "I Need Me A Car." This tune is highlighted by some rather interesting chord changes.
Most of the Henderson originals are slower-paced songs. They all have a relentless beat to them as Henderson will keep hitting the same note on his guitar giving these songs a trance-like quality to them. The rockabilly type songs feature the honky tonk style piano of Jarvis. One song in particular called "Scared Of That Child" shows how the band can really get down when they want to.
The other covers on the disc, Sonny Boy Williamson’s "Mister Downchild" and Howling Wolf’s "My Country Sugar Mama," simply reiterate the band’s blues roots. There’s not so much as a hint of country music to be found anywhere in this recording.
This is the Blue Blood’s second disc and their follow-up to "First Blood" released in 1996. "Thicker Than Water" is a great record to kick off the new year with.
*****