Pierre Lacocque’s Mississippi Heat – Don’t Look Back
Delmark Records -2025
14 tracks; 54 minutes
Mississippi Heat returns for their fourteenth album since their 1992 debut. Having heard most of their previous output, I can confirm that this is up with their very best, and all-original too. Leader Pierre Lacocque has put his own name on the billboard, but the band remains, as always, a strong combination of musicians, some of whom constitute the core band, others coming in for cameos. The album was recorded two years ago, some of the songs being influenced by the Covid pandemic which cost the life of Pierre’s father; former guitarist for the band, Carl Weathersby, also died during the creative process and Pierre dedicates the album to him. The core of the band is now Pierre on harmonica, Sheryl Youngblood on vocals, Giles Corey on guitar, Brian Quinn on bass and Jason ‘J Rock’ Edwards on drums, but many others sit in: former vocalists Inetta Visor and Daneshia Hamilton join forces on one tune, Danielle Nicole sings on two tracks, Omar Coleman sings on one cut and does a harp duet with Pierre on another and Nanette Frank, Diane Madison and Mae Koen (collectively NADIMA) add B/V’s to five tracks; Billy Flynn plays guitar on almost as many cuts as Giles Corey and keyboard duties are shared by two of Chicago’s finest, John Kattke and Johnny Iguana. In the rhythm section Big Mike Perez replaces Brian Quinn on four tracks and Kenny ‘Beedy Eyes’ Smith (a former full-time Heat member) returns to play drums on three. Finally the sax and trumpet of Kirk Smothers and Marc Franklin add their power to four tracks and percussion and handclaps are provided on three tracks by Tony Alexander and Natalie Bennison.
As Pierre says in the liner notes, the songs reflect his own life and experiences, as well as looking critically at relationships and the terrible effects of addiction. New vocalist Sheryl comforts others who are in hard circumstances, “You Ain’t The Only One”, an opening track which tears out of the speakers with horns in the background and fine solos from Giles and Pierre. A rousing Chicago blues follows with Danielle Nicole guesting and not wanting to be the “Third Wheel” in a relationship; the song is driven by the rhythm section and Iguana’s rocking piano, punctuated by Pierre’s sharp harp blasts – great stuff!
Next up we have “Quarter To Three”, the time of the train departure with a one way ticket out of here, a shared vocal between the two former MH singers, another fine piece of uptempo Chicago blues. Sheryl returns to the mike for “Stepped Out Of Line”, a slow blues with Pierre’s buzzing harp and the gospel voices of NADIMA in support before raising the tempo with a tale of a guy who drinks too much, Sheryl concluding that she “Can’t Take It”: “When you start to drinking you got me thinking, you’re a hot mess that I can’t take”. Pierre nearly sets the reeds aflame with his powerful solo on this one!
Pierre then shares duties with another Chicago harp player, Omar Coleman, on an instrumental entitled “Moonshine Man” that really pounds along; under three minutes, but a great listen in the style of the Harp Attack sessions with Wells, Cotton, Branch and Bell. Pierre hits some high notes, Billy Flynn plays a delightful solo and Iguana again shines on acoustic piano on the driving, toe-tapping “Champin’ At The Bit” and the band keeps things moving for the dancers with “Love (It Makes You Do Most Anything)”, something of a celebratory lyric with horns and backing vocals adding to the tune.
Arguably the key song on the set is “Shiverin’ Blues”, a harrowing description of Pierre’s father’s passing during Covid (“There ain’t no cure in sight”), wonderfully delivered by Danielle who really brings out the sentiments, ably aided by Corey’s slide guitar and moody keys from Kattke. Perhaps deliberately placed next to provide a cheery contrast, “The Sock Hop” takes us back in time, Flynn this time providing the slide, Iguana, Pierre and Sheryl delivering a fabulous celebration of old-fashioned dance hall sessions.
The rhythm section of Quinn and Edwards bring the funk to the rhythms of “Blue Amber” and “I Ain’t Evil” hits a lighter stride with Corey’s fluid, Latin-tinged guitar underpinning the whole song. Sheryl offers advice on relationships and encourages people to move forward on the title track “Don’t Look Back”, something of a metaphor for what Pierre and Mississippi Heat always do. Omar Coleman takes the vocal on “Four Steel Walls”, a song that addresses the dreadful effects of addiction, another full production number with the horns and NADIMA in full flow, Smothers stepping out front for a storming tenor solo, making a great finale to a superb album that comes highly recommended by this reviewer.
