Okay, before I go any farther, let me just say I LOVE THIS ALBUM! There isn’t a piano to be found on any of the eleven tracks, but there is some very tasty organ. Mississippi is primarily Eric Tingstad with some bass and percussion support from the very capable hands of Chris Leighton, Garey Shelton, James Clark, Ben Smith and TJ Morris - and Eric Robert on “organ and whirly.” Tingstad performs on a variety of electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, pedal steel guitar, and resophonic. He wrote in a recent blog post, “Mississippi is my musical expression of how we are inspired by, and relate to, our American landscape. This is my take on the region that has come to be known as the Cradle of American Music - centered in the delta, and expanding to include the Americana Music Triangle.” Tingstad composed all of the music except for his stunning arrangement of “Danny Boy,” and there isn’t a weak track on the whole album. As a reviewer, I have to admit that sometimes it feels like my ears are getting kind of jaded, but then something like Mississippi comes along that is so fresh, beautifully recorded, and full of life that I want to go back through the artist’s entire catalog to hear what else I’ve missed.

To backtrack a bit, Eric Tingstad has been recording since 1982 and released fourteen albums with Nancy Rumbel (as Tingstad and Rumbel) on the Narada label from 1987-2004. After that, he chose to move on as an indie artist and producer and has been honored with many awards and nominations, including a Grammy win and a second Grammy nomination. Mississippi should increase those numbers!

The album begins with “Long Boats,” an upbeat and very rhythmic piece that sets the tone of the album. Banjo, pedal steel, electric and acoustic guitars plus organ and percussion give this blues-tinged piece an American flavor that no one could mistake as anything else. “Shakin’ in the Cradle” has some down-home finger-pickin’ with organ and electric guitar added for additional color. The title track is slow and sultry, and is a perfect musical description of the southern US. With hints of B.B. King and slow dances from decades ago, “Trail of Tears” gets me every time - a heartbreaker. “Skamania” picks up the tempo a bit and is full of fun - love the organ on this one! “Durango” takes on an air of mystery in a somewhat more southwestern musical style and has a completely infectious rhythm. The lively and sunny “Chester” brings this fantastic album to a close, leaving my ears as well as my soul refreshed and happy.

Sure to be one of my Top Favorites for 2015, Mississippi is available from erictingstad.com, Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby. I give it my highest recommendation.