Clint Morgan - Troublemaker (2021)

Based in Olympia, Washington, singer-pianist Clint Morgan comfortably inhabits the historically linked but often segregated worlds of blues, country and rock and roll. It’s all there in his third album of original songs, the often-humorous Troublemaker. An impressive gang of special guests—Kinky Friedman, the McCrary Sisters, Bob Margolin, Bob Corritore, Watermelon Slim and Jonn Del Toro Richardson—are well-cast in their respective songs and illustrative of Morgan’s versatility.

Blues and country blend smoothly in Troublemaker’s opening song, “Hangman Woman.” If Johnny Cash and Howlin’ Wolf had ever sat beside each other for some mutual music making, the results might have sounded like this. Taking a deeper dive into blues, “Ain’t That the Blues” features a juke-joint swaying groove and Corritore’s harmonica.

Morgan’s take on Cash’s classic torch-song travelogue, “Big River,” confirms his affection for the Man in Black. While Morgan’s voice doesn’t resonate with Cash’s bass-baritone authority, his general tone and unfancy delivery do echo Cash. Morgan turns to another mid-20th star with “She Take My Money,” s song closely modeled on Chuck Berry’s 1950s rock and roll hits.

The album’s non-original songs include one of its highlights, a rich performance and arrangement of the spiritual “Go Down Moses,” costarring the McCrary Sisters. Another special guest, Kinky Friedman, wryly recites verses in the novelty song “Somebody Put a Walmart on the Farm.”

Morgan loads Troublemaker with 14 songs and one bonus track. Because the project contains some underachieving selections, better to have cut its track list down to 12 or even 10 songs. At his idiosyncratic best, Morgan earns his entertainer stripes. ~John Wirt