Jimmie Bratcher - I'm Hungry (2021)

The expression “Soul Food” gained popular notoriety in the 1960s, with its roots in African American and Native American culture dating back to the colonial period. The phrase has grown beyond a reference to traditional foods and has become synonymous with music, art, fashion, dance, and all aspects of African American culture. Kansas City singer-songwriter, guitarist and ordained minister, Jimmie Bratcher was surely inspired by this legacy during the creation of his latest project simply titled “I’m Hungry.” With the help of his wife, Sherri, he has created a cookbook of nearly 200 recipes gathered from some of the world’s finest chefs and friends and family with an accompanying album of culinary inspired tunes. Bratcher earned the moniker,“The Electric Rev,” by delivering inspirational live performances and writing compelling material, which pairs the musical language of the blues with spiritual messages for decades. For his 12th album Bratcher gathered several musical friends in Kansas City and Nashville to record 10 original tracks and two inspired cover songs to round out this unique project. The music ranges from barrelhouse boogie to straight-ahead blues, roots rock and soul, mixed to enhance and inspire the downhome recipes, creating an entertaining and irreverent collection.

While the songs on the album don’t reference any specific recipes, beyond the reference to fried chicken, they do speak of many of the ingredients and the joy of cooking. The opening track ‘I Love Her Name,’spells out that affection with words that could’ve been in a kid’s playground song,but here are driven by barrelhouse piano fromJohn Selle, setting the table for the delectable delights to come. Bratcher then plays the role of a man tormented by being denied his pleasure upon doctor’s orders for the loping shuffle ‘Mama Won’t Fry No Chicken.’Every good cook knows that the aroma of food is central to the presentation, so on ‘Bacon Is On My Mind,’Bratcher uses a bump and grind 12-bar blues to pontificate about one of the world’s most powerfulolfactory senses. The double entendre is thick, and the schmaltz is deep on the jazzy pop ballad ‘Baby I Like What You’re Cooking,’ with sublime guitar work.An entire album could have been recorded of cover songs written about food, thus giving importance to the first oftwo Bratcher selected. The Keb’Mo’tune,‘Government Cheese,’is astraightforward funky bluesthat has a subtle socio-political message behind it, reflective of the struggles many people are facing today.

Anyone who’s been to Kansas City knows that it is the home of great music and great barbecue. Bratcher takes us on a tour of the KC hotspots during the driving blues ‘Where You Gonna Stop,’name checking his favorite joints. The instrumental track sitting in the middle of the album is perfectly named ‘Greasy,’with this southern fried funk groove that sets up tasty guitar licks. He then uses a spicy rhumba to extolthe virtues and faults of poultry during ‘Chicken Tastes The Same.’The second line anthem ‘Green Bananas,’from his 2008 album “The Electric Rev” gets a remix adding spoken word backstory to the ‘carpe diem’aphorism. The crew then takes a little liberty by framing Little Milton‘s 1969 Stax Soul classic ‘Grits Ain’t Groceries,’ as a Texas shuffle that allows Bratcher to stretch out on a sizzling guitar lead.

Reprising another selection from his discography the fun-loving country blues, ‘Bologna Sandwich Man,’ from his album “Secretly Famous,” reveals the secret foodie passion that has been brewing for years. The credits roll for the project over the final track ‘Happy,’ a stellar progressive blues instrumental in the style of Robben Ford or Larry Carlton that showcases stellar performances from the rhythm section and hot guitar playing from Bratcher. ~Rick J Bowen