Little Axe (aka Skip McDonald) of Sugarhill Gang/Tackhead also links up again with musical partners Keith LeBlanc (drums) and Doug Wimbish (bass) as the main band and brings in a few guests on the fifteen racks.

And it was only the other day I was musing on Dr. Rubberfunk’s ‘gospel’ influenced ‘Father’s Lament’ as “the first blues of any note I’ve heard since Chris Thomas King and then we get this gem.

That’s what happpens when gospel, blues, spirituals, rock guitars, and a hint of Captain Beefheart all get mixed up with contemporary grooves by Mr. Sherwood. It wouldn’t be Sherwood unless there was a dub track and ‘Blueneck Dub’ is the bizness here.

As the later tracks on The Rough Guide To The Blues compilation testify, reports of the death of the blues are premature. This is the living blues with a really individual Little Axe sound.

Reviewed:
Little Axe — Stone Cold Ohio (Real World Records/ Virgin Records) Cat. No: CD RW 140, 00946 3 68620 2 6 Release date: 2006 Produced by Adrian Sherwood & Skip McDonald

Tracklisting:
1 If I Had My Way (4:09) Written-By — Mark Stewart
2 Jive Talk (1:42)
3 Same People (3:53) Drums, Percussion — Will Calhoun Written-By — Allen Toussaint
4 Rockin’ Shoes (3:48)
5 Pray (2:55)
6 Prisoner (1:10)
7 Victims (4:39)
8 Let Me Ride (3:17)
9 Trouble In Mind (3:21)
10 Blueneck Dub (3:33)
11 Hard Times (4:21) Written-By — Skip James
12 Almighty (3:41)
13 No Bottom (3:45)
14 She (1:53) Drums, Percussion, Written-By — Will Calhoun
15 No More Mourning (1:15)

Links:
www.little-axe.com
www.myspace.com/littleaxesound
www.realworldrecords.com/ntah
www.realworldrecords.com/littleaxe