Runner-Up, Best Debut Album - Living Blues Magazine '96
Press:
“One reason the deep-voiced Mem Shannon has become a critic and fan favorite since parking his New Orleans cab and becoming a full-time bluesman a few years back is his emphasis on original tunes rather than familiar blues standards. He’s one of the most prolific and clever songsmiths on the current blues scene.” Pulse Magazine, Aug. 22 ‘01
“ Mem Shannon is easily one of the most underrated guitarists in the industry. He’s probably one of the more innovative vocalists out there, too.” Blues Access, Oct-Dec ‘01
“ Mem Shannon [is] a unique individual in the world of modern blues. Sure, he’s a hot picker who owes a lot to the B.B. King school of space and tasteful playing rather than a million pentatonic scales. And sure, his backing band The Membership can cook up a hot blues stew, spicing the affair with touches of New Orleans-style swamp rock, R&B and funk. But what makes Shannon special is that he eschews instrumental peacocking – often not even playing solos – in favor of well-crafted songs and intelligent, literate lyrics with nary a shuffle in sight.” “Shannon’s career is moving at a steady clip, joining artists like Robert Cray, Tab Benoit and Keb’ Mo as the new crop of literate, daring bluesmen.” Flagpole June 6 ‘01
"The mark of good blues is their capacity to convey common grief without falling into pathos. The secret of great blues is their righteous depth. By that criteria, Shannon deserves national enshrinement." "Shannon is as important in his uncompromising eccentricity as young John Lee Hooker was in his. And that puts him up there with the best." Blues To-Do's, May '99
"That's the thing about Shannon's writing: it rings so true. His guitar work is like that, too: pure, clean and straightforward." "Mem Shannon doesn't have to ask twice to Spend Some Time with Me - like any good storyteller, it will be a pleasure to hear his musical tales again and again." Gambit Weekly, Feb. 23 '99
"It's always a pleasure to listen to an artist who takes a genuine delight in what he does." "The New Orleans-based singer and guitarist... just gets better with every outing. Shannon's mix of sophistication and familiarity is a potent one; he's a skillful guitar player with a rich, soulful voice who tells a story with every song, turning the listener into an appreciative confidante." Amazon.com
"Always one to avoid tired blues cliches, Mem shifts nimbly from funk to jazz to rock to heartfelt balladry." "...no other artist on the blues scene has the wit, insight, and compassion to write tunes with such wide ranging themes." JAZZ TIMES, May '99
About the live show:
"His playing grew in strength... taking greater risks with complex rhythms, building tension through repetition, then releasing into explosions of major chord detonations. One of those play-all-the-time guys, Shannon was a helpfully supportive rhythm player, too, uncorking as many surprises in the background as when he soloed. His tone was sweet, his touch sure and steady and his rhythmic ideas positively percolating." The Daily Gazette (Albany, NY), Aug. 4 '97
"Allthough the musical emphasis [of Austin’s “South by SouthWest”] was on young alternative rock acts, it was a veteran New Orleans taxi driver who ultimately drove away with the rave reviews. ...Shannon's autobiographical blues approach... effortlessly cut through the pretensions and hype with a sound that was as novel as it was sincere." Downbeat, June '96
"Instead of using the blues as an excuse for overblown guitar solos, [Mem] satisfies with real songs featuring sharp social observations set to imaginative arrangements. And when he dips into New Orleans funk or shows his ability as a sophisticated, jazzy picker, it doesn't feel like a genre exercise." Boston Herald, June 20 '97
"Blues is, of course, best served up raw, gritty and packed with soul. It shouldn't be any other way, and when it comes to Mem Shannon's gorgeous songs and guitar playing, it certainly isn't." Seattle Times, May 22 '97
"...Shannon is so incredibly talented that his music doesn't sound like anyone else's.... He's a superior guitarist, too, and a natural-born entertainer. The only thing holding him back is his own originality and that will soon turn to his advantage." Blues To-Do's, May '97
