A lot of folklore surrounds North Mississippi Hill Country bluesman T-Model Ford, from his age (believed to be 90) to his brawling past (he killed another man and spent time on a chain gang), but one thing is for sure, that T-Model Ford is an amazing musician. Ford picked up the guitar for the first time when he was almost 60, and started recording in his 70’s through the Fat Possum label, and despite suffering a mild stroke last April, T-Model is fine form on his eighth album, Taledragger. Recorded in the studio during last year’s US tour, Ford is backed by his talented touring band GravelRoad on the eight songs which include a couple of Howlin’ Wolf tunes as well as others that have been covered by other legends like Muddy Waters, Champion Jack Dupree, and Jerry Lee Lewis. T-Model Ford is also joined by Brian Olive (Greenhornes, Soledad Brothers) and Matthew Smith (Outrageous Cherry, Volebeats) on a few of the songs, showcasing his raw and rugged vocals with heavy reverb laden guitar. Standouts include “Big Legged Woman” which clocks in at just under 8 minutes and traditional blues closer “Little Red Rooster.” T-Model Ford’s other nickname is “Taildragger” (an aviation term for a landing gear configuration) and whether or not the album title is a play on his nickname, referring to all the tales and folklore that follow him around, Taledragger is sure one of the best blues releases this year. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Robert Belfour, R.L. Burnside, Charles Caldwell, Cedell Davis, Junior Kimbrough, Mississippi Fred McDowell