North Mississippi Allstars formed in 1996; the product of a special time for modern Mississippi hill country blues. Brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson soaked up the music of their father, Memphis legend Jim Dickinson, and absorbed the North Mississippi legacy while playing and shaking it down in the juke joints with their blues ancestors. R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, Otha Turner and their musical families were at their peak, making classic records and touring the world. Eventually, Luther (guitar, vocals) and Cody (drums, vocals) formed the North Mississippi Allstars and pioneered their own brand of blues-infused rock and roll.

The North Mississippi Allstars released their debut album, Shake Hands With Shorty, in the spring of 2000. Their debut proved to be a success and earned them a Grammy nomination for ‘Best Contemporary Blues Album’. After earning two more Grammy nominations in the same category for 51 Phantom (2001) and Electric Blue Watermelon (2005), the North Mississippi Allstars earned the reputation as one of the most intriguing acts to emerge from the loam of Southern blues and roots rock.

In 2008, after five studio albums and more than a decade touring together, the Dickinsons decided to branch out and pursue other projects. In 2009 Luther teamed up with Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus to form the South Memphis String Band. The trio has toured across the country and released two albums since then. In 2012, Luther formed The Wandering, a five-piece folk band featuring Shannon McNally, Amy LaVere, Valerie June and Sharde Thomas (Otha Turner’s granddaughter), and released their debut record Go On Now, You Can’t Stay Here. He also recorded and released a solo acoustic album, Hambone’s Meditations, which received a 2013 Grammy nomination for ‘Best Folk Album’.

Meanwhile, Cody broadened the scope of his musical career and became what one might call an artistic entrepreneur in the fields of music, film and TV. Cody has contributed to several major motion picture soundtracks, including Barnyard, Snoop’s Hood of Horror and Black Snake Moan. He had a recurring role on MTV’s $5 Dollar Cover series and appears in G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation. As a producer Cody has worked with a wide range of musicians including Lucero, Cisco Adler, and Les Claypool. He also produced British blues guitarist Ian Siegal’s last two albums, The Skinny (2011) and Candystore Kid (2012), both of which were nominated for ‘Best Contemporary Blues Album’ at the annual Blues Music Awards. Despite all his work as a producer, Cody continues to be one of the industry’s premier drummers, demonstrated by his 2013 Blues Music Awards nomination in the ‘Best Instrumentalist/Drums’ category.

The brothers reunited in 2010 to record  Keys to the Kingdom after the passing of their father.   Jim had always told them, “You need to be playing music together. You are better together than you will ever be apart.” Inspired by his words, Luther and Cody went into the family’s home recording studio Zebra Ranch, to create a record that could help them cope with the loss and rejoice in his honor.

Most recently, Luther and Cody have toured extensively with Robert Plant & The Band of Joy, headlined major festivals and toured internationally as a headliner and with Ian Siegal as part of The Mississippi Mudbloods. They also released two live bootleg records, 2011’s Live in the Hills and 2012’s Live in the Hills Volume II, both recorded at the annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic in Potts Camp, MS.
The North Mississippi Allstars are at times joined by Lightnin’ Malcolm, Alvin Youngblood Hart, the legendary Chris Chew, and a host of other talented musicians.

Luther and Cody continually expand the tradition of the Mississippi hill country blues that has inspired them from the beginning, but as Rolling Stone aptly notes, “the Allstars may be children of tradition, but they’re digging deep in undiscovered country”.

The North Mississippi Allstars, Luther, Cody and Lightnin Malcom will be in Bozeman at The Filling Station on Saturday February 16. Tickets are available at Cactus Records.
Bozeman Magazine recently had the opportunity to talk to Luther Dickinson about the North Mississippi Allstars upcoming tour through Bozeman, Here is part of that conversation:

BM: Hello, is this Luther?

LD: Yes it is, How are you today?

BM: Very Well, How are you?

LD: Very Well, Thank You. We are all looking forward to coming out to Bozeman?

BM: Have you ever been to Bozeman?

LD: Uhh, No, Not in my recent memory. It is uncharted territory.

BM: You might have had a missed opportunity when the Black Crowes had a show cancelled in Montana due to rain a few years ago.

LD: Well I am glad we are coming. How is the weather?

BM: We had a little snow last night, a couple inches, but we have been having a mild winter again. A lot of days in the 40s. I am not sure about in a couple weeks, but it is pretty nice here now.

LD: Nice!

BM: The place you are set to play here, The Filling Station is a pretty cool little road house type bar. Just on the edge of town. I think you will enjoy it a lot. I think you will have a great time there.

LD: I’ve heard that. I really like that atmosphere.

BM: Who will be joining you on this leg of the tour?

LD: Well it is Me and my Brother Cody, and our friend Lightnin Malcolm. He is a really talented musician and he is playing guitar, bass and drums. So we are all switching up some, but mainly Malcolm is playing guitar and bass and singing. So it is a really fun line up.

And then our friends the London Souls, from Brooklyn are opening up for us on this whole tour.

BM: Alright, can you tell us a little bit about them?

LD: Man I met those cats a couple of years ago and they are just one of my favorite bands right now. It is a great, traditional rock, power trio. Great songs, Great singing, musicianship… The whole package. The band is just scary, they are sooo good.

BM: Have you toured or played many shows with them already?

LD; Yes we have and we play their cds a lot before and after our shows for a couple of years too.

BM: Can you tell me about Lightnin? How long have you been playing with him?

LD: We have been playing together off and on for   a couple of years, and kinda heavily for about a year. We met down at Junior’s place, which is really kinda cool and rare, but we have been friends for a looonnng time. I couldnt track it down, we would run into each other out on the road. But then we started hanging out at home. He lives really close to my family and me, so we started writing songs and jamming together, late at night just for fun, and then it turned into him playing in the band.

BM: Wow, that sounds cool. So in a couple weeks you will be here playing for us. You guys are stopping in Missoula too. You are in for some beautiful scenery along the way, that’s for sure.

LD: I have family there. My sister and brother in law and our Business manager all live in Bozeman. So we got family there and friends…

BM: Well hopefully they will all be at the show too then, some familiar faces for you to see.

LD: Yeah, Yeah.

BM: Great, I know the tickets are going quickly down at Cactus Records. I talked to a girl last night who works there and she said there are still a few available but people have been buying them up too so if you want some better get to Cactus soon.

To change the subject on you, I know your father was a big influence for you and Cody growing up as musicians, can you tell us a little about your family and Dad, and how it all went down for you.

LD:   Yes, our Fathers name is Jim, Jim Dickinson. He grew up in Memphis in the 50’s being a piano player and guitar player, then he went on to be a session player. He recorded with the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Albert King, Albert Collins, Johnny Cash, a pretty amazing career of making records.

Then he went on to produce a bunch of records. He worked with the Replacements, that is my favorite band he worked with for sure. And there is a guitar player from California, Ry Cooter that he worked with for a bunch of years. Then He did soundtrack work. Mainly he was just a wonderful scholar of American Roots Music. He totally shaped my taste and aesthetic growing up listening to music. I definately caught the music bug really early. I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

He passed away in 2009. He was a great friend and collaborator, not only just our Dad. It was pretty awesome. We got to play some really good shows together.

BM: That is great that beyond a good Father and Son relationship, you got to go into the music business with him and enjoy some great times together. Things like the show you recorded at Bonnaroo. (Hill Country Revue)

LD: That was SICK Man. That was the pinnacle of the concept of the band. Having all those musicians, all the multi generations together. That is as good as it gets.

BM: What can we expect at the Filling Station?

LD: We are bringing that Juke Joint Spirit, the Boogie. We try and keep that alive, you Know? You should bring your dancing shoes and be ready.

photo Brad Hodge