Downhome Sophisticate
This singer-guitarist, discovered on the streets of New Orleans, has grown immensely since he emerged as the great black hope of acoustic blues with 1994's exceptionalBetween Midnight and Day. The electricDownhome Sophisticateis an often-superb sequel to his eclectic 1999 catalog of African American styles,Greens from the Garden--sprawling, but sparked by topical songwriting and Harris's raw-toned, Delta-fueled guitar and full-bodied singing. Harris infuses traditional blues with new blood, often by combining his sources. He tattoos an African vocal melody and guitar rhythm to a Mississippi fife-and-drum beat in the riveting antiwar number, "Fire," which is further stoked by psychedelic slide guitar. His 5x5 Band pump the traditional numbers "Don't Let the Devil Ride" and "Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning" by giving Harris's sleazy bottleneck playing and raw howl a rock & roll bottom. "Santoro" and the title number are the best blues-hip-hop blends sinceArrested Development's searing "Tennessee." There's also a smart samba excursion. But some experiments, like the funky "Frankie Doris" and theFred McDowellacid trip "Money on My Mind," don't gel, and several instrumentals unspool aimlessly. Nonetheless, Harris is trying to transform one of the most idiom-bound genres into something personal and utterly modern. And that marks him as one of the music's most courageous contemporary artists.--Ted Drozdowski