With Keb' Mo' and Shemekia Copeland, CTK is one of my favorite blues artists performing today. He just released an EP of live selections, 'Live On Beale Street', where he mixes rock, blues, and rap. He's done this before on studio releases, but it really works in the live environment. He also has a standout version of the blues classic, 'I'll Play The Blues For You'.
His previous studio release, 'Rise', is just about the best blues album I've heard in years. 'What Would Jesus Do' is a song written about the Katrina tragedy, and it's first rate. It includes a couplet, "standing outside the Walgreens, with a stone in my hand, standing outside with a stone in my hand, I ask myself 'would Jesus understand?'", which perfectly describes the moral dilemma decent, law-abiding citizens had to face every day during that time. 'Faith' is another terrific song, and 'Baptized In Dirty Water' has outstanding guitar work by CTK. There are a few covers there too, 'Big Yellow Taxi', 'St James Infirmary Blues', and 'What A Wonderful World', all done well. There is a lot of despair depicted, but overall there is a hopeful tone to the album.
Another outstanding release is 'Red Mud', which is much more traditional. The title cut is outstanding, and the rest follows suit.
His earlier stuff is good, but a bit inconsistent, especially where he tries to be a bit too 'pop'.
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