Four decades after the fact, it's our good fortune that the eightysomething Ford remains the most attitudinal country-blues artist on the Fat Possum label. Never short on swagger or energy, T-Model and his partner in crime, drummer Tommie "Spam" Myrick, typically deliver long, rockin' sets that are just as likely to accompany a juke-joint brawl as light up a rock venue. If one can imagine a classic Howlin' Wolf verse sounding even more primitive, T-Model's smooth-as-gravel vocals fit the bill. His current release, Bad Man, shows connections to the Wolf, Lightnin' Hopkins, and John Lee Hooker, but the power and the posturing are all T-Model. Show opener and labelmate Robert Belfour provides a more introspective persona, weaving an almost jazz-like grace into a solid rural guitar style. Word is, there'll be some recording goin' on, so be ready to respond.
