Stone Cold Ohio

Description

Little Axes's fifth album is 'Stone Cold Ohio' - 15 tracks of future blues - dubbed-out, dark, and smokey. It includes covers of songs by Skip James, Allen Toussaint, and Mos Def man Will Calhoun. '...Ohio' traces a line from African chants, Afro-American field songs, blues, gospel, soul, funk and dub, and takes it on into the 21st Century. 'Stone Cold Ohio' references Skip's home state. "Back to my roots. A reality check," he says. Skip was born in Dayton, Ohio, one of the great funk breeding grounds - Wilson Pickett , the Ohio Players, The Falcons etc. There he learned blues guitar from his father, and by the age of 10 was already playing jazz professionally. By 12, his focus had shifted to doo-wop, and he also played in a gospel quartet. The name Little Axe is both a tribute to the Bob Marley/Wailers' song "Small Axe" and also to Wilbur "Little Ax" Broadnax of the Spirit of Memphis gospel quartet. Gospel plays a big part on '...Ohio', and Skip sums the album up as "Blues and spirituality". 'Stone Cold Ohio' features Skip's ex-Sugarhill Gang and Tackhead colleagues Doug Wimbish and Keith LeBlanc, and a cast of characters like upcoming reggae star Ghetto Priest. Review: Excellent - Excellent hard blues with a gospel edge. Highly recommended. Review: Moby stole his licks from Little Axe - I am a long-time Blues and House lover. This album and all his others are a great melding of the two styles. Moby must have taken the style he uses in "Natural Blues" from Little Axe. I was introduced to "Rockin' Shoes" on XM Radio's Blues channel and have never looked back.