New Release: Rock & Roll Redemption by Mudcat & the Redeemers

Atlanta’s Daniel Peter Dudeck, known to music fans as Mudcat, has been a stalwart of the local blues scene for years. His music reaches far and wide for good reason. This is a soul-avowing collection of songs which won’t give you the blues, just the opposite. Performing as Mudcat for some four decades, Dudeck has built a following to rival his contemporaries.

The seven-track release underscores Mudcat’s commitment to upholding the blues traditions of the South. Actually, the album contains six new songs, with the seventh, “Full Redemption,” encapsulating the six originals into a 25-minute jam. No transitions, no dead air, just a straight half-hour of Mudcat.

Opening track “Don’t Use the Devil” highlights Mudcat’s wicked slide guitar and powerful voice. Producer Snave adds the harmonica flare, while Bob Rice on the skins and Joe Capo on guitar round out a badass song prompting fans to do the right thing. “Don’t use the devil / Don’t you lie and steal / Don’t use the devil / Don’t you sign that deal.” The song is a testament to Dudeck’s values and love of the genre. “Be the best human race,” indeed.

“Loser’s Blues” picks up the pace with a driving beat and that wicked slide. Mudcat successfully blends the sounds of blues with a dash of New Orleans Dixieland. The fifties vibe of “Cosmic Dope / Burden of Sanity” underscores the artist’s versatility and willingness to color outside the lines. On the title track “Road to Redemption,” Mudcat is clearly sharing personal life lessons when he sings, “My tribulations you may not see / I’ve been through hell I’ll be redeemed,” all the while mixing in flashes of that Bo Diddley beat.

Dudeck is not just a musician, but a farmer and host of The Piedmont Report, a podcast “Specializing in music, past and present, from the Piedmont region, along with tips for vegetable gardening and sustainable living.” He’s definitely a 21st century man, with one foot in 20th century blues and the other planted firmly in saving the world.

Rock & Roll Redemption is Mudcat’s 16th studio album and there is little evidence he’s ready to slow down. A mainstay at Northside Tavern and Blind Willie’s Blues Club in Atlanta, his band’s live performances are frequent, so no excuses if you’ve not seen them live. Tinsley Ellis once said, “No one has done more for Georgia blues than Mudcat.” Truer words have never been spoken.

For information on Mudcat’s upcoming live events, visit his website. To purchase Rock & Roll Redemption or other great releases from his catalog, visit his Bandcamp page.