Winner Best Traditional Blues Male Artist 2014 Blues Music Award | Grammy Nominee for Best Blues Album!
World-renowned blues harp icon is joined by special guests Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Delbert McClinton, Warren Haynes and Keb Mo for a joyous collection of raucous boogies, sunny country blues and brash Chicago shuffles inspired by Cotton's colorful and sometime perilous life. Eleven fresh new songs, including "Bonnie Blue," which features a rare Cotton vocal performance.
"The greatest living blues harmonica player" - New York Daily News
1 COTTON MOUTH MAN James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Background Vocals Joe Bonamassa - Lead Guitar Rob McNelley - Rhyt...
Liner Notes
1 COTTON MOUTH MAN James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Background Vocals Joe Bonamassa - Lead Guitar Rob McNelley - Rhythm Guitar Tommy MacDonald - Bass Darrell Nulisch - Vocals
2MIDNIGHT TRAIN James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums Chuck Leavell - Wurlitzer Piano Tom Holland - Guitar Noel Neal - Bass Gregg Allman - Vocals
3 MISSISSIPPI MUD James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Percussion Chuck Leavell - Piano Rob McNelley - Guitar Glenn Worf - Upright Bass Keb Mo - Vocals
4HE WAS THERE James Cotton - Harmonica Jerry Porter - Drums Chuck Leavell - Piano Tom Holland - Guitar Noel Neal - Bass Darrell Nulisch - Vocals
5SOMETHING FOR ME James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Percussion Chuck Leavell - Piano Tom Holland - Guitar Noel Neal - Bass Warren Haynes - Guitar, Vocals
6 WRAPPED AROUND MY HEART James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Percussion Chuck Leavell - Hammond B3 Organ Rob McNelley - Guitar Glenn Worf - Bass Ruthie Foster - Vocals
7SAINT ON SUNDAY James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums Chuck Leavell - Wurlitzer Piano Rob McNelley - Guitar Glenn Worf - Bass Darrell Nulisch - Vocals
8HARD SOMETIMES James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums Chuck Leavell - Piano Rob McNelley - Guitar Glenn Worf - Upright Bass Delbert McClinton - Vocals
9YOUNG BOLD WOMEN James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Percussion Chuck Leavell - Hammond B3 Organ Rob McNelley - Guitar Glenn Worf - Upright Bass Darrell Nulisch - Vocals
10 BIRD NEST ON THE GROUND James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Percussion Chuck Leavell - Piano Tom Holland - Guitar Noel Neal - Bass Darrell Nulisch - Vocals
11WASN'T MY TIME TO GO James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums Chuck Leavell - Wurlitzer Piano Rob McNelley - Guitar Glenn Worf - Upright Bass Keb Mo - Vocals, Guitar
12 BLUES IS GOOD FOR YOU James Cotton - Harmonica Tom Hambridge - Drums, Percussion Chuck Leavell - Keyboards Rob McNelly - Guitar Glenn Worf - Bass Darrell Nulisch - Vocals
13 BONNIE BLUE James Cotton - Harmonica, Vocals Colin Linden - Resonator Guitar
"I feel so happy about the music in this album and I'd like everyone who listens to it to know how it came about and to thank everyone involved with it. The blues is all about feeling-if I don't feel it, I can't play it. My hope is that everyone who listens feels it. I know I sure did!
Making this album was a new experience for me. Tom Hambridge and Richard Fleming wrote a song named Cotton Mouth Man. I really liked it. Tom said that he wanted to be my producer and make an album about my life. I thought this was a good idea and he invited me to Nashville where Gary Nicholson and Richard Fleming joined us in Tom's o'ice. We talked about my funky life. Gary and Richard played some guitars, Tom beat some sticks on the co'ee table, I blew some harp and we all shared some laughs. Most of the songs on this album came from those songwriting sessions. It is a great honor for me to know you wanted to work with me. I hope each of you have as many warm feelings and long-lasting good memories as I have about those sessions. Many thanks.
Tom Hambridge, it's been beautiful to work with you. Thank you for being who you are.
It makes me feel good that so many talented musicians, whose work I've admired for so long, have heard my music over all these years and were willing to come in to hel me complete this album. What a special gift from them to me. This is my special "thank you" from the bottom of my heart to Gregg Allman, Joe Bonamassa, Ruthie Foster, Warren Haynes, Chuck Leavell, Colin Linden, Tommy MacDonald, Delbert McClinton, Rob McNelley, Keb Mo and Glenn Worf.
I'd like to say "thank you" to The James Cotton Blues Band: Darrell Nulisch, Tom Holland, Noel Neal and Jerry Porter. I love you all so very much; you are my family. You are always there for me.
Bruce Iglauer has stood behind this album from the very start along with my Alligator Family. You all are the best. Thank you so much.
Jacklyn, you know what you mean to me.
-James Cotton
Produced by Tom Hambridge Recorded at Sound Stage Studio, Nashville TN Engineered by Jim Cooley and Nick Autry Mixed and Mastered by Tom Hambridge and Michael Saint-Leon at The Switchyard, Nashville TN Executive Producer: Bruce Iglauer
Additional Recording by: Shane Baldwin at Elevated Basement, Savannah GA Stuart Sullivan at Wire Recording, Austin TX Brendan Muldowney at Carriage House, Stamford CT
Gregg Allman appears courtesy of Rounder Records Joe Bonamassa appears courtesy of J&R Adventures Ruthie Foster appears courtesy of Blue Corn Music Warren Haynes appears courtesy of Stax Records Keb Mo appears courtesy of Yolabelle International/ILG Darrell Nulisch appears courtesy of Severn Records
Author/Publisher: Hambridge, McClinton & Nicholson, Tom Hambridge Tunes, ASCAP/Nasty Cat Music admin. by Carol Vincent and Associates LLC, BMI/Gary Nicholson Music admin. by Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP