One Track Mind: Mike Zito with Sonny Landreth, “Fortunate Son” from Blues Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival (2014)

As Sonny Landreth’s serpentine guitar curls around the familiar Creedence Clearwater Revival beat, “Fortune Son” comes roaring to life once more. And that’s before Mike Zito’s road-rash of vocal comes charging in.

Such are the rough-hewn joys of A Blues Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival, a note-perfect idea from Cleopatra Records. After all, John Fogerty’s gritty swamp rock was built upon four pylons of blues-kissed soul in the first place.

Elsewhere, the set includes Duke Robillard’s “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” Louisiana Leroux’s “Looking Out My Back Door,” and Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King’s “Run Thorugh the Jungle,” among others. Still, I kept coming back to this first song, to this moment when A Blues Tribute to Creedence Clearwater Revival made its initial case with such a definitive growl.

“Fortunate Son” remains a scorching indictment, of course, because we still fight wars on the backs of the poor. Every bit of that original impetus, that flinty anger, returns as Landreth closes this vibrant update out with a boilingly redemptive instrumental aside.

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Nick DeRiso

Nick DeRiso has written for USA Today, American Songwriter, All About Jazz, and a host of others. Honored as columnist of the year five times by the Associated Press, Louisiana Press Association and Louisiana Sports Writers Association, he oversaw a daily section named Top 10 in the U.S. by the AP before co-founding Something Else! Nick is now assistant managing editor with Townsqaure Media. Listen to NICKRADIO here: bit.ly/NICKRADIO.

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