Jon Nicholson - A Lil Sump'm Sump'm (2005)

After several years of working behind the scenes in Nashville as a songwriter and session man, Jon Nicholson dropped his solo debut in 2005. Nicholson's music falls somewhere between mainstream pop, blues, country, swampy New Orleans funk, and straightforward singer-songwriterisms, with a nice, easy feel that makes the mix immediately appealing.

Nicholson sings with a raspy, soulful bent, a quality matched perfectly by the loose, groove-oriented tunes that comprise A LIL SUMP'M SUMP'M. That Nicholson's not afraid to rock out ("Rock & Roll"), lapse into a folksy strummer ("Grass River"), or belt out a heartfelt ballad ("Hero") helps make this a fun, eclectic album, one that artfully brings together different strains of American roots music under one roof.