Luke Winslow-King - Blue Mesa (2018)

Luke Winslow-Kings latest album is an example of craftsmanship at the highest level, radiating a warmth and timeless elegance. Adept at mixing country, blues, R&B, rock 'n' roll and folk influences intuitively and masterfully Luke shapes a mood from many sources and shepherds it to a unifying place of acceptance and hope. 'Blue Mesa' is both stately and approachable manifestly proficient but deeply personal. What sets this above the singer and guitarist's previous work is how he's absorbed the offerings of a life in music.Born and raised in the Northern Michigan town of Cadillac, he moved to New Orleans at 19 and spent the next 15 years fully immersing himself in the musical waters that flow through there. Now that hes moved on, it is the larger world, and the people and places in it, that enthralls him. From these travels and friendships comes a deeper and richer perspective on the American musical traditions he fell in love with at an early age. Blue Mesa was recorded in the Tuscan fortress village of Lari, Italy and features long-time collaborator and Italian blues guitar dynamo Roberto Luti, Chris Davis of King James and the Special Men, and Mike Lynch (Bob Seger, Larry McCray) on organ. From the first track, Luke effortlessly draws the listener into his genre-expansive, dynamic world. ""You Got Mine,"" co-written with friend and legendary local musician ""Washboard"" Lissa Driscoll (who passed away in September 2017), enchants with its laid back grace. Delicate touches of Paul Simon and Robert Cray color this paean to unconditional friendship. There is subtle Stax-inflected soul on the title track, while ""Farewell Blues,"" a song written after he found out about his late father's cancer diagnosis, has a resolute drifter's wandering heart to guide it.The psychedelic swamp boogie of ""Leghorn Women"" brims with charm, both suave and sinister, while the Tom-Petty-on-the-levee vibe of ""Born to Roam"" makes it a classic-in-the-making road trip anthem.