James Cotton Is A Cotton Mouth Man

In 1953, James Cotton entered the Sun Studios in Memphis to make his first recordings. 60 years later, Alligator has just issued Cotton’s latest, Cotton Mouth Man. The title song was a number that Tom Hambridge and Richard Fleming wrote that Cotton liked and he got together with them and they wrote a number of new songs many based around Cotton’s life. These comprise almost all of this album that Hambridge produced in Nashville. In addition to Cotton’s regular band of Darrell Nulisch on vocals, Tom Holland on guitar, Noel Neal on bass and Jerry Porter, Hambridge brought in as guests Joe Bonamassa, Gregg Allman, Keb Mo, Warren Haynes, Ruthie Foster, Delbert McClinton and Colin Linden with Chuck Leavell playing keyboards on much of this. Its been about two decades since Cotton lost his singing voice, so he is relegated to the harp here.

The title track is a warp-speed boogie with Cotton wailing on harmonica with Joe Bonamassa ripping off a solo as Nulisch sings about Cotton’s harp does all of his talking while Hambridge hammers away mechanically on drums (he plays better elsewhere). Midnight Train, opens with Cotton hoarsely speaking “Midnight Train to Mississippi,” and then comes off as an amplified Sonny Terry, while Chuck Leavell’s keyboards fit in with Cotton’s band. Gregg Allman takes the vocal on what is a straight train blues about the whistle blowing and his baby going away. Keb Mo has a strong vocal on Mississippi Mud, slow blues where Cotton’s harp and Leavell’s piano stand out.. 

The lyric of He Was There, traces Cotton’s career from recording to Sun and moving to Chicago with Cotton’s band augmented by Leavell wailing behind a fine vocal from Nulisch. Warren Haynes sings and adds driving blues-rock slide guitar for the rocking Something For Me which is followed by Ruthie Foster singing the lyric on the excellent Wrapped Around My Heart. Nulisch is terrific as Cotton and band revive Muddy Waters’ Bird Nest On The Ground. 

Keb Mo returns to sing over the low-key backing on Wasn’t My Time To Go. This is a song about Cotton outliving his parents and siblings, as well as surviving a crazed gun man at a Chicago bus stop, with a refrain that so as long as Cotton can still blow, it ain’t his time to go. After the driving Blues Is Good For You, Cotton backed solely by Colin Linden’s resonator guitar, delivers the whiskey soaked vocal (not far removed from talking) on the closing Bonnie Blue. 

As displayed on Cotton Mouth Man, James Cotton, and his harmonica, remains a formidable performer and is well-served by this varied and exciting recording.

I received by review copy from Alligator. Here is a clip of Mr. Superharp in performance.

James Cotton Remains a Blues Giant

James Cotton’s career as a musician extends some 66 years and while he no longer handles the vocals, he still wails on the harmonica. His latest CD is “Giant” on Alligator features his band of the past several years: Slam Allen on guitar and vocals; Tom Holland on guitar; Noel Neal on bass and Kenny Neal, Jr., on drums in addition to Mr. Superharp himself. Its refreshing that for this latest Cotton recording, they did have Cotton with his band and eschewed the superstar guests. Slam Allen certainly has developed into a solid singer with plenty of personality, and Tom Holland has become one of the most highly regraded traditionally-oriented guitarists around today and little need be added about Noel Neal and Kenny Neal, Jr. This is a great band as the many who have seen them will readily testify.

There are a few originals here in addition to interpretations of classic blues of which “How Blue Can You Get?” “Since I Met You Baby,” and “That’s All Right” are the best known that to these. I know the opening “Buried Alive in the Blues,” by Nick Gravenites has been recorded a lot, but it is relatively new to these ears and it receives rollicking shuffle treatment here with plenty of Cotton’s harp. “Heard You’re Getting Married,” is a slow blues penned by Allen and Cotton with more crying harp. A pair of Muddy Waters tunes follows, with the slow rendition of of “Sad Sad Day” standing out with terrific slide guitar from Tom Holland who evokes Waters’ classic style. Another Allen-Cotton original “Change,” follows with a churning rhythm and a rocking solo from Allen. Allen does a pretty solid job singing “How Blue You Can Get.” The song is handled pretty straight and Noel Neal takes a bass solo with Cotton’s harp adding commentary to the bass solo. A hot instrumental, “In the Quickness,” has a short guitar break from Allen and is followed by the Ivory Joe Hunter ballad “Since I Met You Baby,” which again serves to showcase Cotton’s harp with a serviceable vocal from Allen. Holland plays some lovely guitar behind the vocal on this in addition to Cotton’s strong playing responding to Allen’s vocal. The band rocks on Muddy Waters’ “Going Down Main Street,” which includes some strong guitar before Cotton quotes his classic instrumental “The Creeper,” as he takes the song to its end. Allen follows with a first-rate vocal on “That’s All Right,” that also sports first-rate harp. “Blues For Koko,” a moody instrumental by Cotton is dedicated to the late Koko Taylor, concludes this disc on a high note. Mention should be accorded to Tom Holland’s accompaniment of Cotton’s dazzling, virtuosic harp on this.

Bruce Iglauer notes that Cotton has cut nearly 30 albums in his career. That does not include the many recordings he played on as a sideman. “Giant” simply is a strong addition to Cotton’s rich musical legacy and is also valuable to document the terrific music that Cotton has been playing with his working band.


For purposes of FTC regulations, the review copy for this was sent to the writer by Alligator Records.