Musical palate cleanser, still ticking along edition

Delbert McClinton’s 81 years old.  He recently announced his retirement from touring (although he’s still hosting the Sunny Beaches Cruise).  But just because he’s no longer touring doesn’t mean he’s stopped making records.

Texas blues and soul rocker Delbert McClinton has announced the forthcoming release of his new studio album Outdated Emotion. The 16 song collection offers listeners a backstage pass to some of the most significant musical moments in American history as the legendary 81-year-old performs his lifelong favorite tunes.

Outdated Emotion symbolizes a full-circle moment for the 2020 Grammy Award winner as he reinvents the swing, jazz, blues, and country tunes that have informed his 65-year career. Following the recent announcement of his retirement from touring, McClinton’s Outdated Emotion marks a return to his musical roots and the songs that started it all, ultimately proving why he has earned the title as “the Godfather of Americana Music” (Rolling Stone).

With the announcement, McClinton shares “Ain’t That Lovin’ You,” an energetic, harmonica-driven reinterpretation of the ‘56 classic by Jimmy Reed. McClinton realized he wanted to play music for a living when he heard the late blues troubadour’s music for the first time.

And here it is…

Time has thinned the voice a little, but the delivery is still pure Delbert.  Keep on rolling, my man.

Musical palate cleanser, soul, baby, edition

I’ve made a decision.  It’s for your own good.

You need a little live Otis Redding in your morning.

You’re welcome.

Musical palate cleanser, the Godfather, stripped, edition

I didn’t know what to expect from an acoustic version of “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”, but, damn, if this doesn’t slap.

And, yes, he’s that Magic Dick.

Musical palate cleanser, being fab edition

From, I believe, Australia, during a 1964 world tour…

Quite simply, that is how you rock ‘n’ roll.

Musical palate cleanser, blues prodigy edition

Ladies and gentlemen, Christone Kingfish Ingram, channeling a little Jimi.

As someone in the comments to that clip noted, he wasn’t even old enough to drink in the bar he was playing at when that was recorded.  Pretty remarkable.

Musical palate cleanser, some rhythm and blues edition

Let’s wrap up a week of MPCs with the inimitable Curtis Mayfield and his “Move On Up”.

Smooth, baby.

Musical palate cleanser, worldly edition

I doubt you’ll see many resumes that read like this:

Bombino was born in 1980 in Tidene, Niger, a Tuareg encampment about 80 kilometers northeast of Agadez. He is a member of the Ifoghas tribe, which belongs to the Kel Air Tuareg federation.  Following the outbreak of the Tuareg Rebellion in 1990, Bombino, along with his father and grandmother, was forced to flee to neighboring Algeria for safety. During this time, visiting relatives left behind a guitar, and Bombino began to teach himself how to play. He later studied with renowned Tuareg guitarist, Haja Bebe. Bebe asked him to join his band where he gained the nickname “Bombino”, which is derived from the Italian word “bambino”, meaning ‘little child’. While living in Algeria and Libya in his teen years, Bombino and his friends watched videos of Jimi Hendrix, Mark Knopfler and others to learn their styles. He worked as both a musician and a herder in the desert near Tripoli. By 1997, Bombino had returned to Agadez and began life as a professional musician.

From Nomad, his second international release, here is the haunting “Imuhar”:

As a bonus, here’s a live, acoustic version:

Musical palate cleanser, rootsy edition

From their fantastic debut album,  Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, here’s Waukesha, Wisconsin’s finest, BoDeans, with “Fadeaway”.

Musical palate cleanser, power popping edition

I don’t know if Big Star’s “September Gurls” stands as the greatest power pop song ever, but I do know that I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve played it.  That counts for something, right?

Musical palate cleanser, tour time edition

Just thought I’d share a little news…

Robert Earl Keen will wrap up with his 2022 Final Tour, I’m Comin’ Home: 41 Years On The Road. Ticket links and more info at https://t.co/d0CwtFU15T pic.twitter.com/dGBthOz9Mw

— Robert Earl Keen (@robertearlkeen) March 16, 2022

… and a little music.

You’re welcome. 🙂