The swamplands of McComb, Mississippi, have given and taken away from the music world: Bo Diddley was born there, and Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines and his sister Cassie of Lynyrd Skynyrd died in a plane crash just outside of town. It's also where Omar Kent Dykes was born and raised. Although an Austin native since 1976, Dykes' rough-hewn blues are still rooted in the howl and ache that can only emanate from the deep South.
Dykes and his band, The Howlers, came to national prominence along with The Fabulous Thunderbirds and Stevie Ray Vaughan when all three signed major-label contracts in the '80s and their particular brand of Texas twang began to bleed into mainstream rock. After that wild ride, Dykes settled into producing quality recordings and touring extensively (he's particularly well-loved in Europe). Although there's no substitute for experiencing his growly vocals and snap-tight band in a club, his progression as a live performer can be tracked on Live At Paradiso, a set captured in Amsterdam, and a pair of Watermelon CDs (Muddy Springs Road, World Wide Open). The excellent studio recordings Monkey Land and Big Delta will win over the non-initiated, too.
In late 2007, Dykes partnered with Jimmie Vaughan and a slew of other Austin standbys (including Lou Ann Barton, Kim Wilson, Gary Clark Jr., Gary Primich and James Cotton, plus Delbert McClinton) to release an edgy CD of covers of Mississippi bluesman Jimmy Reed's material that feels like the soundtrack to driving down I-55 with the top down under a heavy full moon.
Provenance: McComb, Mississippi
Latest release: On The Jimmy Reed Highway (2007)
© 2007 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
Omar Kent Dykes
