Product Description
RELEASE DATE 11/21/2025 - KIM WILSON - SLOW BURN
M.C. Records is proud to announce the release of Slow Burn from legendary harmonica player and singer of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kim Wilson, on November 21. Slow Burn is the follow-up to his 2020 Grammy-nominated release, The Bigtone Sessions. Joining Kim on much of the record are three amazing blues musicians who recently passed, Richard Innes on the drums, Barrelhouse Chuck on the piano, and Larry Taylor from Canned Heat on bass. Slow Burn is his fourth full-length recording he has released with M.C. Records. Scroll down for upcoming T-Bird and solo dates.
Slow Burn is from two separate sessions, one in 2014 and the other in 2020. None of these songs has ever been released before. This may be Kim’s deepest blues record ever. He covers legends like B.B. King, Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Nighthawk, and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Four songs on the release are Kim Wilson originals. Slow Burn features Kim’s deep and passionate vocals as well as his renowned harmonica virtuosity.
Kim Wilson talks about the making of the record:
"The tracks on this album are very special because several of the songs include some of the last performances in the studio by three great blues giants, Richard Innes, Larry Taylor, and Barrelhouse Chuck. Basically, everything was recorded the same way they did it in the old days; however, I think the sound quality of this CD is fantastic and stands up to anything modern. Some great blues for you fans, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it."
Kim Wilson has been the voice and soul of the Texas band The Fabulous Thunderbirds. He’s also an accomplished solo recording artist, and in the minds of many people, the greatest harmonica player performing today. He has recorded sessions with legendary Rock musicians Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Mark Knopfler, and Paul Simon, to name a few. In 1970, he decided to drop out of college to play the blues full-time, learning the ropes from such San Francisco Bay Area blues musicians as Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker, and George Harmonica Smith. Kim had the chance to work with so many of his musical influences and heroes over the years, including Muddy Waters, Jimmie Rogers, Big Walter Horton, Eddie Taylor, Pee Wee Crayton, and Lowell Fulson. In the mid-1970s, he moved to Austin, where he co-founded The Fabulous Thunderbirds in 1974.
Slow Burn
M.C. Records
One of the masters of blues harmonica, Madison Slim, once told me that he thought Kim Wilson might be the greatest blues harp player, surpassing Little Walter. Wilson’s latest provides plenty of evidence that Slim may have a point. Comprised of tracks from sessions in 2014 and 2020, Wilson tears through 13 cuts that encapsulate the diversity of the music in the hands of a true master.
The disc starts with a Little Milton classic, “I’m Trying.” Johnny Viau is a one-man horn section, riffing behind the leader’s scintillating vocal, with the late Barrelhouse Chuck Goering dazzling with his tasty piano fills. Wilson provides some soul-shaking acoustic harp on the original “Leaving You On My Mind,” accompanied by Nathan James’ masterful slide guitar while Richard Innes keeps the beat flowing.
Standout tracks include four with Goering, Innes, and Larry Taylor on bass. All three were close friends and frequent collaborators of Wilson’s until they passed from this world. Add the amazing guitar of Billy Flynn and you get tracks like “Howlin’ For My Darlin’” and “Kansas City,” brimming with kinetic and the sterling interplay of musicians who intuitively know how to find that sweet spot, their individual contributions seamlessly meshing to create music with enormous depth.
It is such a joy to hear this all-star band playing their hearts out. “Sweet Little Angel” is notable for Flynn’s efforts paying homage to B.B. King and Buddy Guy while reaffirming his unerring ability to play the right notes. Barrelhouse Chuck’s beautifully constructed piano embellishments give Wilson’s pleading vocal plenty of encouragement. “The Time Has Come” is another original, a slow shuffle with Wilson headed out the door, leaving a no-good woman to the wailing sounds of Flynn’s slide guitar.
Five tracks feature James and his Rhythm Scratchers band, Troy Sandow on bass and Marty Dodson on drums. They lay down a seductive groove on “Lowdown Woman,” allowing Wilson space to blow up a storm. Their rendition of the Otis Rush classic “So Many Roads” is a stunning achievement, Wilson’s voice connecting with a spellbinding, almost primal edge. His soaring wails on the chromatic harp will stick with you long after the song is over.
More evidence to back Slim’s assertion can be found on two instrumentals. “Boogie In E” proves truth in advertising, four minutes of Wilson blowing some of the toughest harp that you have heard recently. On “Gotta Have A Horse,” he delves into the Little Walter legacy, capturing the master’s tone and spirit while creating his own path. James takes listeners on a wild six-string ride.
Wilson covers “If It Ain’t Me (Who Are You Thinking Of)” by one of his mentors, Jimmy Rogers, to close the disc, a reverent tribute embodying the spirit heard throughout the project. Kim Wilson has given us a vivid reminder of how this music is supposed to be played. If it had been released any time over the last decade, it would undoubtedly have garnered strong support for Album of the Year. Yes, it’s that good!
– Mark Thompson