The Dap Walk Man (Ernie Vincent), is back with a serving of New Orleans blues, funk and soul, albeit a relocated one, as Vincent has been splitting time between here and Tennessee since the levees broke. New Orleans is clearly on Vincent’s mind on City Moods, which sports two Katrina songs and one that refers to Mardi Gras day. The disc starts off decently with an invitation to the dance floor, “Can’t Get Enough” and that sports some punchy organ. “The Levees Broke” obviously is one of the Katrina songs, but the constant refrain of “down in New Orleans” gets old in a hurry. “Katrina Blues” is an average blues instrumental, which only makes one wish for a moratorium on hurricane-related compositions.

The CD’s best track without a doubt is the playful “Take It Slow,” which draws comparison to Theodis Easley’s soul-blues classic “Stand Up In It.” The minor-keyed “Southern Girl” has a double-timed “The Thrill Is Gone” arrangement that allows Vincent to stretch out on guitar à la B. B. King. The closer, “Swamp Daddy,” has a greasy “Honky Tonk” (i.e. Bill Doggett) sound that will have you reaching for your snuff box. City Moods is far from a masterpiece, but there are a few grooves you might want to put on your iPod.