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North Mississippi Allstars Honor Jim Dickinson on New Album

Luther Dickinson’s performance shortly after the passing of Jim Dickinson

The North Mississippi Allstars forthcoming album is a song cycle written in response to the passing of Jim Dickinson in August 2009. Keys to the Kingdom presents the reaction of his sons Luther and Cody Dickinson to their father’s death, both celebrating Jim and also morning his loss. “As is our family’s tradition, we gathered in our homemade studio and recorded,” Luther says. “We carried on as we’ve been taught and dealt the only way we know, by making music. Our dad used to say that production-in-absentia is the highest form of production. The credits read: ‘Produced for Jim Dickinson.’ Keys to the Kingdom is definitely our finest collaboration.” The new record consist of original material written by the group, along with one cover, Bob Dylan’s “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again.” As Luther explains, “One night, while in the hospital, dad had the great idea that ‘Stuck Inside’ could be done as a one-chord hill country blues song,” Luther shares. “He couldn’t talk so he wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed the idea to me. I promised him then that we would do it.”

The new album will hit next year and the Allstars will take to the road in support. The group will close out 2010 with a four show New Year’s Eve run that opens in Birmingham, AL at the WorkPlay Theatre on December 28.