Black Stone Cherry Honors The Blues With Their Latest Release, ‘Black To Blues 2’

Black Stone Cherry are a band that I hold dearly next to my heart. I’ve seen these young men perform more than any other artists out there.

Having said that, there’s got to be a good reason, right? Well there definitely is. These four young men have pumped out some of the beqst music around for the last 13 years. They know who they are, but they also know what sounds built their sound and they’re not afraid to say so.

Be sure to check our interview with guitarist Ben Wells here.

Blues greats like Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Albert King and many, many more artists have shaped the sounds of Black Stone Cherry. So it should be of no surprise to anyone that the band revisits their ‘Black To Blues’ format.

‘Black To Blues 2’ pays tribute to Freddie King, Robert Johnson, Otis Rush, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James and Son House. These aren’t simply cover songs. These are Black Stone Cherry’s reworked and reimagined versions of songs that inspire them. It’s a really cool peek behind the curtain that lots of artists simply won’t do.

You get six songs on this EP. I’ll discuss my three favorites and the rest is in your hands. After hearing these three, you’ll be going to listen to the rest, they’re that good.

First up is the Freddie King classic, “Big Legged Woman.” This song has always been a favorite track as the groove is simply perfect. Black Stone Cherry takes that groove, feeds it raw meat, gives it a red bull, turns it up to 11, and sets it off down a mountain at about 90 mph. Now that’s how you start a record off!

The Otis Rush classic, “All Your Love (I Miss Lovin)”, is my next pick. They stay fairly true to the original, but it’s still recognizable as Black Stone Cherry. Their tones, creativity and soul make sure of that. This track is the easiest melody to latch onto remember, so give it a listen below!

Elmore James is one of my personal favorite blues artists, he usually only gets a mention for “Dust My Broom”, but thankfully the fellas in Black Stone Cherry know what’s up and they deliver “Early One Morning” with the grit and gumption the song deserves in a modern day setting.

Elmore James is considered by many to be the “King of the Slide Guitar”, and Mr. Chris Robertson definitely understands the importance of that distinction as he absolutely slays in this version. What a flipping tribute!!

You still have songs by Robert Johnson, Son House and Howlin’ Wolf to check out. So what are ya waiting for?!

This album is simply fantastic and for our younger readers out there, this is a great starting point to help you discover all the great blues artists that the universe has given us. So pick it up, stream it, spin the vinyl, love the blues. It’s just that simple.