Deke Dickerson & The Ecco-Fonics - Rhythm, Rhyme & Truth (2000/2020)

They call him "the Deke," but Deke Dickerson is more like the Dean of 21st-century rockabilly, a cognizant musician whose original songs and cover choices are strongly informed by country guitar heroes (Jimmy Bryant and Joe Maphis), early rockers and rollers (Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins), and 1950s R&B. On his third solo record, Dickerson's torrid guitar work is still the focal point, but this time out he's cut back on his usual dosage of silliness. His versatility is on display as he romps through country-jazz, swing, boogie, doo-wop, and his trademark rockabilly, including a rollicking cover of Grandpa Jones's "Hello Blues." --Scott Holter