Black Stone Cherry
Black To Blues
Mascot Label Group
Black To Blues, the latest six-song EP release from Kentucky hard-rockers Black Stone Cherry, offers a worthy homage to a handful of blues-world icons. Reinterpreted iconic blues tracks take on fresh rock life with searing guitar riffs and monster vocals from front-man Chris Robertson. Three of the six cuts are Willie Dixon-penned gems that BSC bends and warps into their own intense, heavy rock sound, including “Built For Comfort,” “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “I Want To Be Loved.” For as many times as “Hoochie Coochie Man” has been covered, BSC manages to add their unique spin to this timeless treasure. Muddy Waters’ “Champagne and Reefer,” which has become a Buddy Guy staple over the years, also gets a dense rock makeover. The Don Nix/Donald “Duck” Dunn/Leon Russell nugget, “Palace of the King,” famously recorded by Freddie King, morphs into a guitar/drum-driven standout. Rounding out the all-too-short collective is a blistering version of the Booker T. Jones/William Bell classic, “Born Under A Bad Sign,” which features understated horns and would do Albert King proud. My only regret is that this record wasn’t longer, and hopefully it represents the direction in which BSC is headed for their next full-length album.
