North Mississippi Allstars Team Up With Anders Osborne For New Album ‘Freedom & Dreams’

Ahead of their spring tour Hernando, Mississippi’s North Mississippi Allstars and New Orleans’ Anders Osborne released a full length album Freedom & Dreams on N.M.O. Records on Tuesday.

“Freedom and Dreams is extremely honest and captures N.M.O.’s relaxed chemistry so well, most of these songs did not even have a proper count off or beginning,” says Allstars guitarist-vocalist Luther Dickinson. “Mark Howard is a wonderful producer and recorded the songs as we first created them. We were interested in combining Anders’ singing and songwriting with NMA’s groove and aesthetic to create something unique that neither of us could do without the other — a type of modern Southern folk rock.””I loved every minute of this recording session! Surrounded by such an amazing group of people, filled those four days with non-stop creativity, love and good food! And the record came out sounding just like it! So good,” enthuses Osborne. “Touring with N.M.O  is going to be the perfect way to celebrate our friendship and musical connection. I can’t wait to share this with everyone!”

The two artists are hitting the road together starting February 18 at Ponte Vedra, Florida and concluding in Kansas City, Missouri on April 11. Dubbed the North Mississippi Allstars and Anders Osborne Present N.M.O., the 25 date tour — which includes stops at such storied venues as San Francisco’s Fillmore and Port Chester, New York’s Capitol Theatre — will feature separate sets from Osborne and the Allstars, and bring them together onstage.

Both the North Mississippi Allstars and Osborne have been embraced by fans and critics for their high-spirited ability to capture the heart of the Southern musical tradition within genre-crossing recordings and performances that are original, vital and contemporary.

For the Allstars, led by guitarist-vocalist Luther Dickinson and drummer-vocalist Cody Dickinson, that means blending the roots of the Hill Country blues that’s part of the firmament of their Magnolia State home with powerhouse ’60s rock and the lessons of their father, the late legendary producer, pianist and raconteur Jim Dickinson, then transporting that elixir into the present on waves of six-string distortion, roughhouse lyricism and Mad Hatter sonic inventiveness. The Allstars’ latest album, World Boogie Is Coming, has been praised as “epic in scale” and “career defining,” with the Los Angeles Times proclaiming the recording “chaotic and expansive in the best sense.”

Osborne, who was recently named the Crescent City’s best guitarist by the readers of Offbeat Magazine for the third year in a row, fell under the spell of Bob Dylan, Ray Charles and other American musical icons as a teenager. Since relocating to New Orleans in 1985 he has distinguished himself as a songwriter — penning tunes for Keb’ Mo’, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw (the number one hit “Watch the Wind Blow”) and others — and singer of the highest caliber. Following his recording debut in 1989 he has crafted a series of increasingly honest and adventurous albums culminating in his most recent, Peace. USA Today described the disc as a collection of “fiery anthems and tumultuous confessional songs punctuated with raw, inspired guitar.” Osborne recently recorded a new album, planned for a spring or summer release.

“NMO’s primitive modernism agenda strives to combine Mississippi country blues guitar with hard danceable beats, making blues relevant and palatable to a new generation,” explains Dickinson, who is also a solo artist and has toured and recorded with the Black Crowes, John Hiatt, the South Memphis String Band, the Word and the Wandering. “Anders has material that reminds me of our father’s music, and I look forward to playing that.”

NMA has been nominated for three Contemporary Blues Grammy Awards; their music has been described by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke as “cottonfield psychedelic.” Dickinson has been nominated for two Folk Grammys and was recently included in Rolling Stone roster of new Guitar Gods.

“Freedom & Dreams” Track Listing:
1) “Away for Too Long”
2) “Back Together”
3) “Lonely Love”
4) “Dyin’ Days”
5) “Shining (Spacedust)”
6) Brush Up Against You”
7) “Annabel”
8) “Katrina”
9) “Kings & Peasants”
10) “Many Wise Men”
11) “Junco Pardna”

The eleven songs on the Mark Howard-produced Freedom & Dreams were recorded at Dockside Studios in Louisiana.

• Thurs., Feb. 19  PONTE VEDRA, FL Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
• Fri., Feb. 20  WILMINGTON, NC Ziggy’s By the Sea
• Sat., Feb. 21  CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA Jefferson Theater
• Mon., Feb. 23  ALEXANDRIA, VA Birchmere
• Wed., Feb. 25  BOSTON, MA Paradise Rock Club
• Thurs., Feb. 26 WESTBURY, NY The Space at Westbury
• Fri., Feb. 27  PORT CHESTER, NY  The Capitol Theatre
• Sat., Feb. 28  ARDMORE, PA The Ardmore Music Hall
• Sun., Mar. 1  HUDSON, NY Club Helsinki
• Tues., Mar. 3  MUNHALL, PA Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
• Thurs., Mar. 5  GRAND RAPIDS, MI The Intersection
• Fri., Mar. 6  CHICAGO, IL Thalia Hall
• Thurs., Mar. 26  BATON ROUGE, LA Varsity Theatre
• Fri., Mar. 27  DALLAS, TX Gas Monkey
• Sat., Mar. 28  AUSTIN, TX The Scoot Inn
• Tues., Mar. 31  PHOENIX, AZ Crescent Ballroom
• Wed., Apr. 1  LOS ANGELES, CA Troubadour
• Thurs., Apr. 2  SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Fillmore
• Fri., Apr. 3  NAPA, CA City Winery Napa
• Sat., Apr. 4  CRYSTAL BAY, NV Crystal Bay Club/The Crown Room
• Tues., Apr. 7  MISSOULA, MT Top Hat Lounge
• Wed., Apr. 8  SALT LAKE CITY, UT The Depot
• Thurs., Apr. 9  ASPEN, CO Belly Up
• Fri., Apr. 10  DENVER, CO Ogden Theatre
• Sat., Apr. 11  KANSAS CITY, MO Knuckleheads