Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars will release Dead Blues Vol. 1 on October 17, 2025 via Strolling Bones Records. The 9-song set was produced by the 10-time GRAMMY Award-nominated Dickinson and is a collection of blues songs the Grateful Dead performed throughout their career by Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bo Diddley, the Mississippi Sheiks, Willie Dixon, and more. The album features vocals by Datrian Johnson, as well as a host of special guests including Phil Lesh’s son Grahame Lesh, Steve Selvidge of The Hold Steady, Dickinson’s brother and North Mississippi Allstars bandmates, Cody Dickinson, and Ray Ray Holloman (Eminem), and more.
Dead Blues Vol. 1 lands somewhere between the Mississippi Delta and outer space, reimagining an array of traditional blues tunes from the Dead’s catalog through a boldly experimental sonic palette. The songs here bear little resemblance to their forefathers; the musical beds are more Memphis funk and jazz than blues and folk, and the melodies are completely transformed to match. Only the lyrics remain largely unchanged, and the result is an exhilaratingly adventurous work that’s equal parts innovation and preservation. Dead Blues Vol. 1 is a distinctly modern, original take on the foundational building blocks of American music delivered by one of its most steadfast champions.
Today, PopMatters premiered Dickinson’s rendition of “Who Do You Love.” Dickinson says, “This Bo Diddley classic is built on a track I wrote on bass and keyboards and finished with my Memphis friends, Mem_Mods (Steve Selvidge and New Memphis Colorways). Their contributions and Datrian Johnson’s vocals fit so naturally and felt so good, I knew we were on a like-minded endeavor showcasing some of my closest friends as well as scratching an aesthetic and stylistic itch of mine.”
Dickinson may have grown up on roots music, but for the last decade, he’s had his mind on the Grateful Dead thanks to the late Phil Lesh, who invited him and his brother to join the Phil & Friends collective back in 2013. “I honestly hadn’t spent much time with the Dead’s music growing up,” Dickinson confesses, “but when Phil invited Cody and I to play with him, we jumped at the opportunity.” The pair then studied up on the band’s catalog in preparation for rehearsals and performances with the legendary bassist. “The more we performed together, the more I realized how many great old blues songs the Dead had played in their time, which led to the Dead Blues concept.” Dickinson adds, “Phil changed my life. He welcomed me into his crew, taught me his repertoire, shared his improvisational approaches, and introduced me to a whole new community of musicians. This record reflects Phil’s wild musical spirit and approach to re-interpretation.”
When the pandemic put a stop to touring and performing in 2020, Dickinson found himself working on an instrumental album written on bass and keyboards. As the project evolved, he began bringing in friends and family to help flesh out the tracks. Just when he thought he was finished, a new friend arrived to change everything. “When John Medeski introduced me to Datrian Johnson, I had this revelation that he could sing the lyrics from the Dead Blues catalog on top of my instrumentals. He’s one of the most moving vocalists I’ve ever worked with on stage, and recording with him was just so effortless. He understood exactly what I was trying to do and brought this record to a whole new level.”
Dead Blues Vol. 1 may end up surprising longtime listeners of Dickinson, and that’s precisely the point. Dead Blues is, in the end, neither a blues record nor a Dead record, but rather something wholly new inspired by the revolutionary impact of both.”
Dead Blues Vol. 1 will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl and is available for pre-order NOW via STROLLING BONES RECORDS.
