Moon Mullican - I'll Sail My Ship Alone

Jerry Lee Lewis has often told of the influence Moon Mullican had on his playing and his career and this compilation give plenty of evidence of that. Although Moon is pretty strictly a country artist, he also had his blues influences, giving his music the mix of white & black that Lewis also had. No, he's not the frantic maniac that JLL was in his early days, but he's got a swingin' style all his own.

The title cut has been covered by JLL and the younger man played pretty true to the original in both playing (though Jerry had to show off a bit more, of course) and singing. "Jole Blon" is pure swampy zydeco, "Cherokee Boogie" may not be politically correct, but it is a cool bit of early pre-rock'n'roll with bouncin' piano and swingin' guitar work, and "Pipeliner Blues" is a bit lewd and damn near as wild as JLL would get!

He gives us a melancholy country/polka ballad in "Sweeter Than the Flowers", then brings it up again for "Good Times Gonna Roll Again" that is, unfortunately, a bit corny with the goofy backing singing and follows with a upbeat version of "Wabash Cannonball" that has some very cool steel guitar playing. "Ragged But Right" is a cool boogie/country tune, this time with some happenin' 6-string pickin', "I Was Sorta Wonderin'" is a somewhat silly slower country number and the comp ends, appropriately enough, with "Farewell", a Fats Domino-type of walkin' blues that lets Mullican show off his playing a bit.

Really enjoyable comp - any fan of Jerry Lee should certainly explore this man's music.