Tony Joe White dies at 75 - Magazine Qobuz

There are some artists that just completely embody a genre, Tony Joe White was one of them. The king of swamp rock sadly left us this Wednesday at the age of 75. White will be remembered for hits such as Polk Salad Annie and Willie And Laura Mae Jones, but here we also take a look at his latest album, Bad Mouthin', released less than a month before his death.

The pioneer of swamp pop never left his bayou. At 75 years old, Tony Joe White, known for his legendary Polk Salad Annie and Willie And Laura Mae Jones, went back to his blues roots. Produced by his son Jody, Bad Mouthin’ celebrates the masters such as John Lee Hooker, Lightnin' Hopkins, Charley Patton, or even The King, Elvis Presley. No make-up here, White’s hoarse and mysterious voice warmly wraps itself around this poetry from the swamps. With his famous harmonica riffs, he awakens the blues of Jimmy Reed (Big Boss Man) in its simplest form. Armed with his Stratocaster 65, he recorded the album in a barn outside of Nashville. Guaranteed intimacy and authenticity! Although he was accompanied by Brian Owings on the drums and Steve Forrest on the bass, most of the responsibility fell on the shoulders of the Cherokee half-blood himself. The track Boom Boom gives us some slightly electric blues music seasoned with some murmured vocals. To close the album, White, alone with his guitar, breaks us in every way possible with Heartbreak Hotel. Tony Joe White excelled in these breathless songs that sweat out the real, true blues music.