Eric Bibb Music Collection. Eric Bibb is part of the new crop of Blues musicians who are tapping into the rich variety of soundscapes coming out of black America. There is as much soul in this album as Blues and some of the most moving material that Bibb has ever released: it also has the feel of coming from the closest piece of his heart and sun seems to shine out of every track.
Today’s video is Jamie Lidell - Little Bit of Feel Good
Bibb grew up in New York in the ‘60’s with folkies such as Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan as well as Paul Robeson and Bibb’s own family, who were well into the NY Jazz scene and the influences are there all over this album. Opening with the pure soul of ‘Spirit I Am’ and touching on straight country Blues, Gospel, New Orleans Blues, by the time you get to the magnificent and uplifting gospel of ‘If Our Hearts Ain’t In It’, with Bonnie Raitt contributing slide guitar.
It’s easy to pick out track after track for attention – the New Orleans swing of ‘New Beale St Blues’ or the simple picking of ‘Pockets’ and anywhere you land here you will open up a gem. The pure gospel of ‘Deep In My Soul’ with a simply strummed guitar line – Dylan himself instructed the young Bibb to ‘Keep it simple and forget all that fancy stuff’ – and the pure Delta Blues of ‘Conversation’ where he argues with Robbie Foster over domestic responsibilities! All the numbers bar one are original Eric Bibb compositions but they bear comparison with songs that the most highly rated Blues and gospel musicians have produced over the years.
Bibb’s voice throughout is sweet and silky but with an underlying strength and a gospelly richness and coupled with his simple and pure guitar playing he manages to keep even the most hard hearted sinner locked in to his message.
April seems early to have a bid for ‘Album of the Year’ in the bag but this is unequivocally in the running from here on in.
