At 66, Gordon’s shuffling piano style and husky, swaggering vocals are still in good shape, as evidenced by Memphis Tennessee. This rollicking good-time production features infectious remakes of Gordon classics like “No More Doggin’,” “Let’s Get High” and the oft-covered “Just a Little Bit,” with superb support from guitarist Duke Robillard and his working band. Included is a fascinating, colorful interview with Rosco in which he touches on everything from singing in the cotton fields as a youth, being discovered by Sun Records founder Sam Phillips in 1951, absorbing the influence of his heroes Charles Brown, Nat King Cole and Ivory Joe Hunter and developing his signature “Rosco’s rhythm,” a bouncy approach to comping that greatly influenced ska music in Jamaica in the 1950s. A welcome return to the scene after a 20-year hiatus for this vibrant old-timer.
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