Re-release in April 2024 on colored vinyl

First release: October 2014

Release Note

For Ragged & Dirty, Devon left his Southern comfort zone, hired a crack Chicago band, and enlisted the producing and writing talents of Grammy winning producer Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, Johnny Winter, James Cotton, Joe Louis Walker).

Though Hambridge wrote four tunes and Devon picked three to cover, it’s his original tunes that speak to his artistic journey. To hear how a groove takes over, check out the spontaneity of his “Midnight Lake Michigan.” Devon’s dark and ominous guitar howls push the nine-minute instrumental with a hoodoo aura. As the tension builds, the song adds Marty Sammon’s keyboards and Tom Hambridge’s percussion in a swirl of primal rhythms.

To hear Devon’s vocal range, listen to the CD closer, “Leave The City.” With only Hambridge keepin’ the sparse beat, Devon strips down and shows off his pleading, Allman-esque voice and stirring resonator guitar in this move to country blues simplicity.

Luther Allison’s “Ragged & Dirty” is a funk meets blues that provides Devon’s hot-shot Chicago studio band of bassist Felton Crews (Charlie Musselwhite and others), guitarist Giles Corey (Billy Branch), and keyboard ace Marty Sammon (Buddy Guy) along with Nashville’s Hambridge on drums room to show-off. Allman’s “Leavin’” provides the band the opportunity to play with a subdued delicacy, while “Back To You” builds from Devon’s expressive solo over Sammon’s B-3 foundation into a blistering slow blues ballad. There’s an expressive side to Devon as he and Wendy Moten handle the Spinner’s classy “I’ll Be Around.” And Devon’s cover of Otis Taylor’s haunting “Ten Million Slaves” commands our attention to bear witness to our historic injustices.

Tracklist

Side A

1 Can’t Lose ’Em All 00:03:45

2 Leavin‘ 00:02:40

3 I’ll Be Around 00:03:54

4 Traveling 00:04:14

5 Midnight Lake Michigan 00:09:31

Side B

6 Half The Truth 00:03:07

7 Ten Million Slaves 00:03:20

8 Blackjack Heartattack 00:03:12

9 Back To You 00:05:02

10 Times Have Changed 00:03:28

11 Ragged & Dirty 00:02:43

12 Leave The City 00:03:00