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SADIE MAE
(Blue Bella)
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No young blues artist writes songs or makes sounds as if they were ripped from the bars of Chicago’s south side in the 1950s like Nick Moss. From the opening title track to the "What’d I Say?"–inspired instrumental "Gone Hoggin’," which closes this album with a little dirty slide, Moss has all the right guitar tones with heated technique to match. Which makes his sophomore CD a banquet for lovers of blues six-string. He also sings with testifying emotion, arching his voice up as he spins tales of misery and devotion. And though all the reflections on Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Robert Nighthawk, and Magic Sam that come through his music make it seem he’s zeroing in on the Cobra Records legacy, there are unexpected twists like "The Coldcut Stomp," which features pianist Bob Welsh in a barrelhouse romp. Time-tested as his themes might be, Moss is also making real contributions to the modern blues song canon, crafting lyrics that ring as true as his licks rather than covering pat standards. But the jury’s still out on his abilities as a live performer. When I saw him in Memphis a few years ago, he barely moved. Nick Moss & the Flip Tops | July 13 | Barking Crab, 88 Sleeper St, Boston | 617.426.2722 + July 14 | Chan’s, 267 Main St, Woonsocket | 401.765.1900.
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