Eli Cook - Miss Blues' Child

(Contributed by John Matthews)

Eli Cook's debut release, Miss Blues' Child, offers him live and unedited in the studio. Along with a few guest musicians, all that's present are Eli's haunting voice and his guitar.

No Frills

There are no frills or gimmicks on this album. Miss Blues' Child starts with a surprising and soulful rendition of Robert Johnson's "Terraplane Blues." This is a straight up blues classic featuring Cook on a distorted acoustic slide guitar. His deep, thick, full voice uniquely combines the essence of John Lee Hooker and RL Burnside.

In fact, the album spotlights chordal blues rather than more common structures like 12- or 8-bar blues. Each tune focuses on feeling more than groove. The result is an honest and heartfelt body of work Cook can be proud of.

An Artist to Watch

Yet with Miss Blues' Child, Cook sometimes sings off key, especially during the a capella tune "Goin' Down South." However the discordance manages to lend some integrity to the recording style. The album doesn't really have an exceptional high point. All the music is good, some of it borders on great, but nothing excels.

Cook's playing is technically competent but doesn't push the limits of his genre. Despite this, it's a very solid first release and Eli Cook is definitely someone to watch on the blues scene.