Southern Soul Assembly 4/9/13 Norwalk Concert Hall

Organized by ace Mofro front man JJ Grey, Southern Soul Assembly showcased a great quartet of southern swampiness. Grey was joined by Anders Osborne, Luther Dickinson, and Marc Broussard for an evening of acoustic songs and stories from these accomplished musicians. Broussard had a booming voice and a gnomish appearance. His song about his grandmother was excellent. Dickinson, from North Mississippi Allstars fame, is known more as an electric axe wielder. Luther seemed very comfortable on acoustic slide, a weird looking bass, and some sort of a swamp bouzuki that looked like a coffee can with a stick and a rubber band. Dickinson's songs about cutting his grass (Yardman), and a sea chantey about fraternizing with mermaids were solid. Osborne is a true character. With a trademark Nawlins drawl, his songs Coming Down, Summertime in New Orleans, and a heartfelt closer about a "runnin pardner" who succumbed to drugs were all fantastic. Grey has been praised in this blog before, but his relaxed fireside chat atmosphere was awesome. 99 Shades of Crazy, and Lochloosa as well as a reggae workout with Osborne were fantastic. These musicians looked right at home in this relaxed setting.