Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Kingfish

Originally posted on Instagram, April 2, 2020

How's everybody doing in quarantine? While I'm busy sheltering in place, my brain has decided to entertain me with endless repetitions of "Outside Of This Town", Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's ode to getting the hell out of Clarksdale. Thanks, brain...?

Kingfish is Clarksdale, Mississippi's youngest and newest world-famous guitar god, but I feel like all the hype about how unusual it is for a 20-year-old to be a successful blues guitarist obscures the real story here: Kingfish is really, really good.

In addition to being an incredible guitarist -best when full-on rocking, but capable of amazing sensitivity as well- he has a beautiful voice, and writes or co-writes almost all of his songs. And while newer artists shouldn't have to have the approval of those who came before them, it should please some blues "purists" to know that this album features contributions from elder statesmen Keb'Mo and Buddy Guy. Those purists should also appreciate "Been Here Before", Kingfish's account of his grandma's reaction when her young grandson showed interest in the music of her generation.

Still, good music knows no generational boundaries, and Kingfish's songs of love, heartbreak, and life in small-town America are neither specific to his generation, nor are they relics of a mythic Mississippi past. And while I've been sitting around in quarantine, I've been letting this music help me feel better about my current situation. I know that there's life outside of this town.