Clarksdale Delivery Man

Indulge me a moment to muse on two of my favorites: Elvis Costello and Clarksdale, Mississippi.

As a longtime E.C. fan, I want to bring to your attention an upcoming release of his, "The Clarksdale Sessions," due out in January. The 7-song record features tracks he cut in a one-room recording studio in Clarksdale, smack dab in the Mississippi Delta. For all practical purposes, Clarksdale is the birthplace of the blues, the home town of such music legends as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke and Ike Turner. Consequently, Clarksdale is also the site of the Delta Blues Museum.

Anyway, the Clarksdale Press-Register newspaper has a boffo story about a recent Elvis Costello trip to the town. "Costello has only been in Clarksdale maybe a couple of times, but says he loves it here because he doesn't face the usual fan pressures," says Guy Malvezzi, who co-owns Delta Recording Services. "Elvis is one of the nicest, down-to-earth guys you'll ever meet."

Costello's "The Delivery Man," which came out earlier this year, was partly recorded in Clarksdale. While the album didn't quite match Costello's typical genius, it is an interesting brew of roots rock, country, blues and folk -- and certainly his most rocking work in a long while.