Cedric Burnside; Steve Lightnin' Malcolm

Riddled with raw intensity, matching gritty Mississippi hill country blues with potent doses of funk and psychedelia, the wild and wonderful sound conjured up by Cedric Burnside and Steve Lightnin' Malcolm blazes with bristling, primal power. Burnside is the grandson of the late hill country blues icon R.L. Burnside, with whom he played for many years. Malcolm discovered the blues growing up in rural Missouri and later moved to northern Mississippi to absorb key lessons from the likes of the elder Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Otha Turner. Burnside is an accomplished drummer, Malcolm a phenomenal guitarist. Both also play their partner's instrument, which translates into an explosive symbiosis of rhythmic and melodic textures, guitar feeding off percussion and vice versa. Malcolm's guitar work is also strongly influenced by Jimi Hendrix, adding a searing dose of vintage psychedelia to blues licks. They juggle songwriting duties and fine lead vocals slathered in greasy, southern-fried country soul on their riveting second album, 2 Man Wrecking Crew (Delta Groove). This daring duo should transform Palmer's into a northern juke joint within three bars of their first tune. 21+.
Thu., Jan. 22, 7 p.m., 2009