Cabbagetown is the latest project from Atlanta-based blues and roots rock quartet, Delta Moon. It’s the band’s 8th studio album and the follow-up to the award-winning 2015 release, Low Down, named one of the best blues records of the year by both Downbeat and Blues Music Magazine. Cabbagetown consists of 9 original compositions and 1 cover of Son House’s timeless classic, “Death Letter Blues.”
After a long and successful European tour in the Spring of 2016, the band reconvened in Marlon Patton’s studio in Tucker, Georgia, to strike while still red hot from playing 6 nights a week. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun, in a rural setting surrounded by great gear, pets, woods, food and ale.
Award-winning songwriter Tom Gray had several new Delta Moon classics ready to go – “Rock And Roll; Girl,” “The Day Before Tomorrow,” “Just Lucky I Guess,” and “Coolest Fools.” Full-band renditions quickly followed with a few twists, Mark Johnson playing lap steel on “Rock And Roll Girl” and Gray playing Spanish-style guitar on several songs. The rest of the original songs were written by the band in the studio, including “Refugee,” “21st Century man,” “Cabbagetown Shuffle,” “Sing Together,” and “Mad About You.” This method of writing led to some interesting results with new emphasis on Franher Joseph’s rich bass voice, some non-slide lead playing by Johnson and gray’s piano playing. In Johnson’s home studio Susannah Masarie and Kyshona Armstrong adding backing vocals. Jon Liebman played harmonica on “Death Letter.” Finally, the band headed to Bakos Amp Works to finish overdubs and mix the album in their old studio, now inhabited be the talented Jeff Bakos.