A video premiere of Bentonia from Kaspar ‘Berry’ Rapkin from his forthcoming Blues From The Land Of The Living album.

Kaspar ‘Berry’ Rapkin releases a third single from his forthcoming Blues From The Land Of The Living album. ‘Bentonia’ drops on 7th August, via Juke Joint In The Woods Records, the album follows on 4th September.

Bentonia is accompanied by a whimsical yet emotive video filmed by Kaspar’s close friend and regular collaborator, The Curse of KK Hammond who also named the album. Watch here:

Kaspar and his trusty rhythm orchestra, The Swampdogs – Ian Davidson bass, cello (!) and backing vocals travelled to Bentonia, Mississippi as part of tour of the Deep South in late 2024. In journey which was full of special moments at special sites (New Orleans, Robert Johnson’s grave, Clarksdale at The Crossroads) Kaspar was most excited about visiting Bentonia, home of Blues legend Skip James.

Rapkin takes up the story: “This song is my baby. It is a homage to the world’s least well-known dream holiday destination: Bentonia, Mississippi. Me, Ian and Mia had the pleasure of playing there. Grammy-nominated blues singer, Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, runs The Blues Front Cafe. The oldest juke joint in the South allegedly. It was my most anticipated gig on the tour. It was and is the best night of my life.”

“I had the chorus in my head for months before I felt ready to sit down and build the song. It took a while for us to find a good flow sonically. There are tempo, key, and time signature changes, which is a little out there for us mere blues
musicians. The song really encapsulates our hunger to get back to the home of the blues as soon as possible!”

Bentonia is a minor masterpiece – a swirling kaleidoscope of Americana, growing from a simple open D guitar figure, in the style of Skip James, to a complex tapestry of sound, with Davidson’s cello weaving a strong thread and Rapkin’s Allmanesque guitar gilding the whole.

With their stunning forthcoming album, Blues From The Land Of The Living, and their scintillating live performances, Kaspar and his cohorts are set to open a new chapter in the history of British roots-rock.

Kaspar Berry Rapkin: Website

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