Grant Britt for NO DEPRESSION – Marcia Ball has always been a line straddler. Born in Texas, raised in Louisiana, Ball has crossed over so many times in her 50 year musical career that those state lines are a musical blur, a smudged border between Texas twang and Louisiana second line. The title cut was recorded in Austin, but has a jangly New Orleans second line strut. “When you feel the spirit, step into the light,” Ball instructs her followers, name-checking Martin Luther King as well as Irma Thomas as prime examples of bright shiners.
Ball assembled a stellar cast for this effort, recorded at two Austin studios and Dockside Studios in Maurice, Louisiana. In addition to her touring band, bassist Don Bennett,drummer Corey Keller, guitarist Mike Schermer, and Eric Bernhardt on tenor sax, Ball has Los Lobos’ Steve Berlin on bari as well as producing the project, with Cajun accordinist/guitarist Roddie Romero and fellow Hub City Allstars bandmate Eric Adcock on B-3 guesting on some cuts. Fiery singer/guitarist Carolyn Wonderland is brought in to add her Bonnie Bramlett-style vocals to the mix as well.
“I Got To Find Somebody” is vintage Ball, Fess’s carnival rhythms driving the party, Berlin and Bernhardt’s dueling bari and tenor honking like a ’50s Huey Piano Smith and the Clowns session.