Sons of the Delta

Sons of the Delta, Acoustic Duo: Red Hot at Peppers

As the title implies, this is a live recording at Peppers Cafe in Gloucester, with the blues acoustic pairing of Mark and Rick. There is a mix of classic blues, Americana, roots rock and country.

Tasty Nuggets is the third recorded outing for Sons of the Delta, now in the form of a quartet with a rhythm section producing a bigger sound. Thirteen little nuggets are here for your listening delight as they deliver their distinctive earthy electro-blues.

Formed as a duo by vocalist/harp player and slide guitarist Mark Cole and guitarist/vocalist Rick Edwards about 12 years ago, they switched flawlessly from acoustic to full-charged electric blues after releasing their first disc, One For The Road, in 2004. Frequent visitors to the real delta, they were joined in the studio by two legends, pianist Pinetop Perkins and former Jelly Roll Kings drummer Sam Carr, for their critically acclaimed CD, Made In Mississippi two years later. They liked the expanded sound so much, they decided to their lineup to a four-piece, and now feature a rhythm section of drummer Martin Fitzgibbon and bassist Lyndon Webb. Adding to the mix here are special guests Mike “Mossman” Myers (electric guitar), Bill Blair (keyboards), Jake Carpenter (piano) and a backing chorus of Dionne Andrews, Patricia Bailey and Darrel McCalla.

Gonna be some sweet sounds coming down West Country style.

Americans must snigger at Brits attempting to emulate the original US blues sound, but there's no need for mirth in the case of Sons Of The Delta, formed around Mark Cole and Rick Edwards from the South West of this island.

For some reason, I never heard this south-west based band’s previous two albums, so the group name and the silly sleeve made me expect some kind of hokum-ish jug band sound. Boy, was I wrong!

Tasty Nuggets, is the third album of this rootsy electro-blues collective and they have built on the success of Made in Mississippi, now a quartet the original members of Mark Cole (vocals, harp, slide guitar) and Rick Edwards (guitar, vocals) have been joined by Martin Fitzgibbon (Drums) and Lyndon Webb (Bass ) creating a bigger sound and for the album they are joined by a number of guest performers.

Whisky-soaked lyrics sung by someone who means business

Based in the South of England, Sons of the Delta comprise Mark Cole and Rick Edwards and on this album are joined by some very special guests who include many greats such as Pinetop Perkins and Jeff Hayes.

Lichfield Arms, Hereford on 31st January 2010.

It has taken twelve years to get Sons Of The Delta a gig in Hereford and, boy, it was worth waiting for. They are Mark Cole and Rick Edwards, who hail from Gloucester. An impressive array of instruments appeared from the back of their van as the guys set up: a sixties Silvertone parlour guitar, a fifties Harmony f-hole guitar, a sixties Strat, a fifties Airline semi-acoustic mandolin, a sixty-five TG-64, a sixties Stella parlour guitar, an Amistar Resounder semi-acoustic resonator guitar, a fifties Teisco J-5, a stomp board and assorted harmonicas.

This translation (thanks to a friend of the reviewer) is priceless..

"La ripatonade du trimestre (The Dancing Blues of the quarter)" A real good slice of joy with two English completely soaked , I could say submerged, in the blue note.

Oval Tavern, Croydon on 4th Feb 2007

Sons of the Delta are a duo consisting of Mark Cole who sings, and plays harmonica and guitar and guitarist Rick Edwards. They play an effervescent mix of Blues and Country music, and on this occasion had a dazzling array of no fewer than eight guitars to choose from. They have a good reputation on the circuit, and their performance at the Oval confirmed this.

With the assistance of Delta legends Pinetop Perkins and Sam Carr, U.K. musicians Mark Cole and Rick Edwards turned their Mississippi pilgrimage into a documented soundtrack.

For plenty of British Blues musicians, the chance to travel to the American South and record with a great bunch of original US Bluesmen would be nothing short of a dream come true. Last year, that dream became a reality for Gloucester musicians Mark Cole and Rick Edwards, aka Sons of the Delta.

For their second outing, the Sons of the Delta (Mark Cole and Rick Edwards) decamped to their spiritual homeland (Clarksdale, MS). In addition to recording "Made in Mississippi" with a little help from their friends, they also played several dates including Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero club.

Here’s another excellent CD from Sons of the Delta with Mark Cole and Rick Edwards doing what they do best; playing no nonsense, street corner blues straight from the heart and just for the hell of it.

Mark Cole and Rick Edwards shared vocals and guitar playing, performing a wide range of interesting material.

Excellent musicianship and an unpolished, good time, approach has made ‘Sons of the Delta’, Mark Cole and Rick Edwards, a highly respected duo. Even Kent DuChaine says they’ve got ‘that sound’ just right.

PRESS

Quotes

Reviews

'Red Hot at Peppers' - Blues in Britain magazine

'Tasty Nuggets' - Blues Matters Magazine

'Tasty Nuggets' - Blues Blast Magazine

'Tasty Nuggets' - Classic Rock's The Blues Magazine

'Tasty Nuggets' - Blues in Britain magazine

'Tasty Nuggets' - Bluesdoodle.com

'Made in Mississippi' Review - July 2011 Maverick music magazine

Gig review - Blues in Britain magazine issue 98

'Made in Mississippi' - French blues magazine Blues & Co.

Gig review - Blues in Britain magazine issue 64

'Made in Mississippi' - Living Blues magazine issue 188

'Made in Mississippi' - Blues Matters! magazine issue 81

'Made in Mississippi' - Blues in Britain magazine issue 55

Another review of 'Made in Mississippi'

Review of performance at the Stroud Blues & Beyond Festival, March 2005

A review of 'One For the Road'