Blending gospel, roots music and bluegrass, brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson have been crafting an expansive sound rooted in the sounds of the South for nearly three decades.
Their project, North Mississippi Allstars, started with them making music with friends and collaborating with talented artists—and it has grown into one of the highlights of the modern jam-band scene. Every show and every new release has pushed the band into further creative territory, infusing modern and classic sounds from a vast array of genres into the band’s patented twangy music. Their latest album, Still Shakin’, was released in June.
North Mississippi Allstars are set to perform at The Hangar in South Lake Tahoe on Sunday, Sept. 21.
“We started with this idea—the concept of having a loose collective of musicians from our community who liked psychedelic Mississippi music,” Luther Dickinson said during a recent phone interview. “It was almost like an art project more than a band, in a way, and the fact that guys are here 30 years later, it’s mind blowing.”
Dickinson said he’s always liked the idea of a collective.
“Our father’s band and business was like that,” he said. Their father, Jim Dickinson, fronted Mud Boy and the Neutrons. “It was a core group, and the rhythm section was always different people. It’s really good that we set it up this way, because the lineup has always been moving around, for various reasons over the years, but right now, with Joey (Williams) and Ray Ray (Holloman), it’s just a wonderful lineup. These guys are such a joy to work with.”
Dickinson had nothing but praise for those aforementioned musicians.
“Joey Williams, he plays guitar and sings in the Blind Boys of Alabama, and he’s with us most times, and will be with us then (in South Lake Tahoe),” he said. “He’s just a fantastic singer, guitar player and bandmate. Ray Ray Holloman, his main gig is playing guitar for Eminem and Ne-Yo. Eminem doesn’t work a lot, but when he does, Ray Ray’s the guy. He’s got a show coming up with Pharrell (Williams), so he works at a super high level, but when he’s got time off, we’re so fortunate that he comes to play with us. They both play every instrument, so with these guys, we have the freedom to do what we call ‘the switcheroo.’ They each get on drums; they take turns on bass and guitar. It’s really fun.”
Across 30 years, North Mississippi Allstars have explored many musical spheres, branching away from their gospel-heavy roots into more psychedelic and country periods. Dickinson said a departure catalyzed an experimental period for the band.
“When our longtime, historic bass player, Chris Chew, left the band—he was a Mississippi gospel bass player—we didn’t hire any gospel musicians for a while, so we went to different rock and psychedelic areas, which is cool to explore,” he said.
However, with their current lineup, Dickinson feels the gospel vibe has returned.
“It really has been good to work with Joey and Raymond, both who come from the church, and it really adds a special ingredient to what we do,” he said. “Our brand is Mississippi rock and roots, and when you put that church element in it, it’s just so funky and soulful. That’s really been an important ingredient from time to time.”
No matter the genre, North Mississippi Allstars always embrace the art of the jam. Their blues numbers, country jams, gospel tunes and more all get transposed in live settings, as the musicians stretch out segments and experiment with the songs. Dickinson said the band has avoided burnout by mixing things up.
“It’s funny: We’ll record a record, and then even when we tour that record, we don’t try to play it like the record,” he said. “The record is a record, and every night, we reinterpret everything. It’s just an indulgence we allow ourselves. It might be fast; it might be slow; it might be short; it might be long. Who knows what will happen?
“It really does help. I wouldn’t be interested in just playing the same exact arrangement, the same exact way, every night. If you have huge hits thousands of people want to hear, then you have to do that, but we’ll cross that bridge when and if that happens.”
For Dickinson, this is a natural way of performing live.
“We grew up with the Allman Brothers Band and Jimi Hendrix, and then later, we worked with Phil Lesh and studied the Grateful Dead music,” he said. “Those bands are all wildly interpretive. It’s another tradition we learned from our father—the concept of taking American roots music as platforms for improvisation.”
This era of the band is so good, Dickinson said, that he’s eager to put it to tape.
“I hope to record again, and really soon, because these musicians we’re working with are so inspiring, and I just want to take advantage of that while we’re together,” he said.
North Mississippi Allstars are set to perform at 7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 21, at The Hangar, at 2401 Lake Tahoe Blvd., in South Lake Tahoe. Tickets are $40.12. You must be 21+ to attend. For tickets and more info, visit www.thehangarlaketahoe.com.