This album is not about the blues, which has been exported from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago, where, among others, Muddy Waters had not been entirely innocent that the Chicago became the blues per se. It is also not about the original blues of the Mississippi Delta, but about its variation from the viewpoint of the adjacent hillside inhabitants, i.e. the Blues, which has set itself as Hill Country Blues in the hills north of the delta. This blues is a bit more simply structured, but also more down-to earth than the original delta blues and the blues sent to the world via Chicago. This blues originally is something like the blues of the poor man from the hills, the man who has never left the hills, and hence a rural blues of predominantly local distribution, which has not much to do with the blues coming from the delta on the long road to the city in the north-west to reflect the life of urban underdogs under urban influence.

Of course, it was inevitable that the Hill Country Blues despite its local tenacity no longer exists in its pure form. Already in the last generation of musicians, which are no longer active today, this blues has become "more modern" if not to some extent “bolder” by the integration of current stylistic devices of popular music, such as the boogie and later the rock. This transformation, which continues until today, is a testament to the adaptability and thus the survivability of this blues genre, which have given it a spread far beyond the hills. The North Mississippi Allstars, who have been active now for nearly 20 years, are presenting a vehemently modern version of the Hill Country Blues with their current eighth album "Prayer for Peace", a version which plays in part extremely loudly closer to Power Pop than to the Hill Country Blues without denying however its origin from the hill. The connection to the hills is reflected not at least by including two blues standard titles to the new album: "You Got To Move", a gospel standard by Fred McDowell, delivered in the best soul manner by the singer Danielle Nicole and "Long Haired Doney" of the Mississippi Blues legend RL Burnside, unbelievably gripping in a sparkling funky manner. With the title "Prayer for Peace" the band picks up social themes, such as the demand for equality, pushed forward by bass and drums. Despite this challenging content, this title, like the other cover titles as well as some newly created titles, is designed and executed with great enthusiasm. That the album recorded in no less than five studios gives a close impression like a live performance is due to the band as well as to the skillful recording and production team.

On the album "Prayer for Peace", it is surprising time and again how the Mississippi Allstars succeed in blending the tradition of the Hill Country blues with strong contemporary influences into an ever-fresh sounding blues that reflects the here and now of social life in musical form. In this sense, the Mississippi Allstars make sure that the blues from the hills north of the river Delta continues to live in a modern form, also fans away from the hills.

Luther Dickinson, guitar, lowebow, vocals
Cody Dickinson, drums, keyboards, electric washboard, vocals