The new Grayson Capps album The Lost Cause Minstrels is more serious and personal than his previous output. The New Orleans musician has a live new band - Corky Hughes on guitars, Chris Spies on keys, Christian Grizzard on bass and John Milham on drums, and is using more backing vocalists and guest musicians to capture the broader sound that he is aiming for.
Capps is a story teller, a man who can paint broad tales with simple words. With his slightly hoarse voice it feels like is sitting right in front of you. Even when the band is firing on all cylinders in during Coconut Moonshine with a jubilant jazz trumpet, a honky tonk piano and seven extra vocalists, he keep the intimacy intact. Delta blues remains a big inspiration, he nods to the classics with two covers - Taj Mahal’s country-blues work-out Annie’s Lover and Richard Rabbit Brown’s Jane's Alley Blues, but his on work he is more passionate, like he is trying to proof that his own compositions can stand up to the ghosts form the past. He doesn't need to worry about that. A song like John The Dagger will get him to the pantheon of American roots music. A man who can write a slow song, call it Rock 'n' Roll and get away it, knows what he is doing.
("Highway 42" | Grayson Capps)
("Jane's Alley Blues" | Grayson Capps)
The Lost Cause Minstrels is released through The Royal Potato Family.
Tracks:
- Highway 42
- Coconut Moonshine
- John The Dagger
- Jane's Alley Blues
- Chief Seattle
- Yes You Are
- Annie's Lover
- Ol' Slac
- Paris France
- No Definitions
- Rock 'n' Roll
» graysoncapps.com
HCTF review of Rott 'N' Roll.