Mick Kolassa has become one of my go-to musicians. His albums are always different from each other and have a versatility that few can match. He has released an electric album with a full backing band, as well as a number of solo acoustic albums. 
His latest release, Wooden Heart, is an acoustic affair, but he layers the sound with an array of backing musicians, all without electricity. He incorporates several background vocalists, which add to the sound. He also travels in a very personal direction, as 10 of the 11 songs are self-penned.
There is a lot to like here. “Education By The Blues” opens the album with a harp blast courtesy of Eric Hughes and then settles into a mid-tempo barrelhouse blues number. Mix in a piano foundation, some slide guitar, and lyrics that present a history and love of the blues, and you have one of the best songs of Kolassa’s career.
He moves in a different direction with several of the tracks, as he goes back to basics. “You Gotta Pay The Price” is basic older style blues with just a guitar and drum and is a nice ride through blues history. “Hurt People” is stripped down and focuses on the painful story.
“Memphis Wood” is the other superior song. It is a gentle inspirational track as he sings about recovery. His sense of humor surfaces with “One Hit Wonder,” which is about smoking weed rather than music.
Wooden Heart may be Mick Kolassa’s most creative release. Many of the tracks have a sound that builds throughout the songs with new instruments joining as the melody moves along. The lyrics range from personal, to storytelling, to the whimsical, but all are rooted in the blues tradition.
Mick Kolassa has issued a very listenable album that ranks as possibly the best of his long career.