Mr. Wizard

iTunes Review

Following up the full-blast excursion of A A*s Pocket of Whiskey, R.L. Burnside regrouped with his core band (comprised of “adopted son” Kenny Brown on guitar and Cedric Burnside, R.L.’s grandson, on drums) and made Mr. Wizard, a record that retained some of A*s Pocket’s hellbent volume and showcased Burnside at the peak of his late-period powers. “Alice Mae” (a tribute to Burnside’s wife) and “Highway 7” (a tribute to his favorite Holly Springs roadway) are explosive dance tunes, fueled by the wisdom of an old master and branded with blistering guitar pulled straight from the Stooges’ Raw Power. The album features raw solo performances by Burnside (“Over the Hill,” “You Gotta Move”), and boot-stomping dedications to his teachers, Muddy Waters and Mississippi Fred McDowell (“Rollin’ & Tumblin’,” “Tribute to Fred”). Mr. Wizard was the last album to focus solely on the well-honed style Burnside had perfected in the juke joints of North Mississippi’s Hill Country.