EDDIE COTTON
HERE I COME
DECHAMP RECORDS DC 100114
HERE I COME–A WOMAN’S LOVE–PAY TO PLAY–FRIEND TO THE END–GET YOUR OWN–MY BOO–LEAVE LOVE ALONE–BACK IN A BIT–NO LOVE BACK–BERRY SO BLACK
Eddie Cotton is a triple-threat blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Clinton, MS. He studied music at Jackson State, then returned home to minister in his father’s church. As strange as it may seem, Eddie harnesses that gospel fire in his blues as the ten original cuts in his latest release, “Here I Come,” on the Dechamp label, will attest.
He’s got a great down-home guitar style, tuned to match his upper-register vocal delivery, the same way Jimmy Johnson does it. And, these cuts are guaranteed to have you ready to get up and boogie!
The leadoff title cut is a minor-key classic, done in the vein of B. B. King, as Eddie uses this song as his biography of sorts, who, even when he “gets knocked down” will “still be around when the dust clears.” A fiery solo completes the package at mid-song. He jumps all over the funk on the driving “Get Your Own,” which revisits classic soul, then tackles a bit of reggae in “No Love Back,” reminding us that love has no guarantee. In a similar vein is his sweet ballad that proves a good friend is invaluable, “Friend To The End,” with sweeping, jazzy guitar lines as emphasis.
We had three favorites, too. Carlos Russell lays down some funky harp on a humorous, loping story of a man who’s just a little too late with a lover, who promises she’ll be “Back In A Bit.” The set closes with another funk exercise, a take on the age-old adage of “the blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice,” as Eddie just can’t stay away from those “Berries So Black.” And, a rockin’ rapid-fire encounter with a “lady of the evening” sets the table for the hilarious response from her—-“you got to Pay To Play!” This one rocks from the git-go, and is sho’ nuff a dance floor burner!
Eddie Cotton keeps the down-home, soul-blues fires burning brightly with his vocal and guitar talents, and has that “feel” for his music that is sincere and keeps things real. “Play the blues, Eddie,” on “Here I Come!!” Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow.
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