Roll and tumble

"R.L. Boyce gets right to the Mississippi Hill Country sound, rolling with his opening boogie like a fired-up John Lee Hooker ... Boyce's energy level (and that of his collaborators) never flags, but he never sounds urgent. He has all day to bounce along on six-minute reflections, whether he's digging deep into tradition or taking a few seconds to chuckle at the prosperity gospel ... he's surrounded by artists like guitarist/producer Luther Dickinson and father-son drummers Calvin Jackson and Cedric Burnside, and everyone just goes with his flow. That percussionist pairing points to the other key influence, R.L. Burnside".

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"You could argue either that R L Boyce's "Roll And Tumble" album is a perfect example of North Mississippi hill country blues in all its linear, mesmerising, hypnotic glory, or that it's stupefyingly boring, repetitive music that goes absolutely nowhere. R L Boyce has all the right credentials (...) [and] plays and sings just as well as hill country stalwarts Junior Kimbrough and R L Burnside ... The problem [lies in] just continuing to plough the same furrow without planting anything new to help the music grow ... "Roll And Tumble" was recorded on Boyce's porch in Como and in a studio in Hernando, Mississippi, which certainly gives the session a heightened ambience and presence ... Boyce is adept at improvising lyrics while chugging out the endless boogie pattern that's now the recognised hallmark of hill country blues".

"A veteran of R.L. Burnside, Jessie Mae Hemphill and Ota Turner's bands, guitarist and drummer R.L. Boyce is a bona-fide Hill Country elder ... Sinuous, mesmeric grooves permeate these songs, as does a laidback, jovial atmosphere ... Boyce's vocals and playing style naturally bear the influence of his peers and mentors, and he's a joy to listen to here, full of high spirits. The musicians cleave closely together, letting Boyce take center stage and following wherever he leads them ... Roll and Tumble is a prime addition to the Hill Country canon, and should bring him to a new, wider audience".