CMT Blog: Archive

The funniest person I know is a big fan of the blues. When we went to the Bele Chere festival together in Asheville, N.C., a few weeks ago, we happened to catch an excellent band she's never heard of -- Delta Moon. Now I think they're probably her favorite blues band. So we trekked to Atlanta over the weekend to hear them play the blues club Blind Willie's in their own hometown. I admit that I'm not well-versed in the blues but I can agree that they're my favorite blues band now, too. Singer-songwriter Tom Gray plays lap steel; Mark Johnson tackles the bottleneck slide guitar. Top it off with a bassist and drummer and it's just soooo greasy.

My friend bought a few of the band's old CDs at the Asheville show, only to find out that there used to be some women singers in the band. They're long gone now (hey, it's the blues) so the new album, Clear Blue Flame, captures the way they sound right now. It's a standout, especially the title track, which illuminates the difference between moonshine and whiskey. Onstage, Gray sings like sandpaper yet his voice is compelling enough to make you want to settle in and listen for a few hours. This is a rarity for me because I usually lose interest in the blues after about, oh, five seconds. However, we stayed planted in our church pew for several sets at Blind Willie's and I wouldn't be surprised if another road trip to Atlanta is in our future. I'm up for it.