It’s always exciting when artists you know and love from different bands get together and make music, especially when they come from significantly different styles.

When I first heard that Louisiana voodoo bluesman Papa Mali was getting together in a band with former Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzman, I was intrigued. Then I heard that former Meters bassist George Porter, Jr. was involved, and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Matt Hubbard, who’s played with Willie Nelson, Fastball, Asleep at the Wheel, Billy Bob Thornton and more, was also part of the project. Intrigue turned to excitement and anticipation, and this sounded like one heck of a project.

Reports of epic live shows circulated, and those reports were confirmed when I witnessed the band called 7 Walkers at Magnolia Fest last month. Speaking with Papa Mali backstage, he told me that this “project” had turned into a band, and music lovers couldn’t be happier about it.

Their eponymous debut album is out now, and without a doubt is one of the best albums of the year. The album is steeped in Louisiana blues and swamp music, with a flair only this combination of musicians could produce. I was especially interested in Kreutzman’s contribution. As a long-time deadhead, I asked him about the swampy voodoo of the album and he stated simply “New Orleans is in my DNA. The Grateful Dead couldn’t do that, so this is really something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Highlights of the album include “King Cotton Blues,” featuring a guest appearance by Willie Nelson, “Sue From Bogalusa,” an Elvis Costello-like shuffle, “Evangeline,” a song some folks consider one of the best post-Dead tunes ever, and “7 Walkers,” the song after which they named the band. Add to the incredible music lyrics written by longtime Dead collaborator Robert Hunter and you’ve got some pretty damn special music.

Run, don’t walk, to your nearest record store and pick this one up. And if you’re a vinyl fanatic like me, the 180-gram vinyl release is worth EVERY cent!

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