Little Brothers

The Little Brothers are a contemporary outfit that draws upon a variety of old-time musics, seemingly taking pre-war blues / string bands such as the Mississippi Sheiks as a starting point. They perform frequently at Jalopy in Brooklyn, which is how I’ve become exposed to the skilled yet natural way they approach the music, which thankfully is loose and confident enough to allow for idiosyncratic / personal touches. Hear for example their take on “Elder Greene Blues” (not on this CD): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siwwju3Sanw  On this CD, they interpret songs by Memphis Minnie, Sleepy John Estes, Ma Rainey, Blind Lemon Jefferson, the Leake County Revelers. There’s lots to enjoy here, and “What Fault You Find of Me,” a semi-original, really catches my ear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipVdGBjTe8k