Everett Brady, Swamp & Roll with Soul (MTE Records)


Like his esteemed swamp pop peers, Charles Mann and Lil’ Alfred, Everett Brady proves you don’t need a sizable discography to be indelibly etched in the public’s mind. But amazingly, for someone with such a pedigree of tinkling the ivories with Dale & Grace, crooning with Clint West and serving as a vocalist/trumpeter for the Boogie Kings, only now is the Louisiana Hall of Famer making his debut under his own name. After decades in the biz, Brady’s soulful, swaggering pipes are still practically perfect, a natural, true crooner in a league with the best of ’em. Here, Brady revisits Southwest Louisiana staples such as Slim Harpo’s “Rainin’ In My Heart” and Toussaint McCall’s “Nothing Takes The Place of You.” At the heart of it all is a stirring remake of “I Almost Called Your Name,” a significant ’70s regional hit for his swampy country Capricorn band. Swamp & Roll With Soul does just that and more.