At 82, guitarist, vocalist and composer Little Freddie King likes to take his time with the blues. Though that’s long been his style stemming back from his Mississippi roots, he’s retained that countrified, strumming-on-a-front-porch ease despite his many years living in New Orleans.

That laid-back vibe is immediately exemplified by the first two numbers on King’s new release, Blues Medicine, including the opener, “Crazy Woman,” which features a full band with pianist Ricky Stelma and harmonica man Robert Louis DiTullio Jr., and the more stripped down “Fatherless,” that wonderfully pairs King’s guitar and vocals with the noted Vasti Jackson on slide guitar. Both are King originals, as are all but two selections on the album, with arrangements by drummer and producer “Wacko” Wade Wright.

Things get more “citified” on “Coke No Ice” with Dominick Grillo stepping in on tenor saxophone and Stelma moving to play trills on piano. King too puts some late-night sophistication in his guitar sound.

King gives a nod to his adoptive home of New Orleans on “Canal St. Corner Bar.” Lyrically, he avoids the typical clichés—no mention of Mardi Gras or Bourbon Street—and gives listeners a peek into the watering hole. “Just another night in paradise,” he sings.

“Two Wheel Cadillac,” one of two instrumentals, ends the album in a lively fashion. It’s simple yet solid which can also be said of Blues Medicine, an album that boasts the curative powers of the genre.