Mike Henderson

Nashville homeboy Mike Henderson belies his roadhouse roots with this crystalline studio blues record, singing, weirdly, as much like Ben Folds as he does like Stevie Ray Vaughan. This is a jubilant no-nonsense toe-tapping album, staffed by Henderson's ever-present entourage of excellent musicians, including keyboardist John Jarvis and Dead Reckoning label co-captain Glenn Work on bass. A longtime mandolin and flat-pick guitar player, Henderson gets Jarvis into the Jerry Lee Lewis spirit with a demon-calling "Keep What You've Got" and the house-rockin' "Scared of that Child." As he does on his previous and under-aired album, First Blood, Henderson honors his idols Sonny Boy Williamson and Howlin' Wolf on the conga-thick "Mister Downchild" and classic down-home "My Country Sugar Mama." In addition to fine guitar covers, Henderson contributes a particularly clear vocal style with plenty of simultaneous character from both the blues and true-blue country music, which he began to cultivate in his early road days with the Snakes. A fine, versatile record for a good mood. ~ Becky Byrkit, All Music Guide