An Evening With Cody Dickinson

Known for his work with the North Mississippi Allstars — the blues/rock band he co-founded with his brother Luther Dickinson — GRAMMY^®-nominated musician Cody Dickinson will celebrate the release of his debut solo album, Homemade, with a special appearance at GRAMMY Museum^® Mississippi for an installment of their An Evening With series. Sponsored by Visit Mississippi, the event will take place on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. in the Sanders Soundstage.

For decades, Cody Dickinson has flown the flag for homemade American roots music. From his ongoing work with North Mississippi Allstars — the chart-topping blues/rock band he cofounded with brother Luther Dickinson in 1996 — to his work as record producer and film documentarian, he's become an avid collaborator, working alongside everyone from Robert Plant to Lucero. Dickinson turns the tables with Homemade, an expansive and evolutionary album that marks his long-awaited debut as a solo artist. Stacked to the ceiling with Southern soul, West Coast boogie-woogie, hill country blues, and plenty of ear-candy pop hooks, Homemade redefines his reach as a vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. It also finds him in full-on family mode. Looking to spend more time with his young children, Dickinson recorded the album at home in Mississippi, where he played every instrument himself and balanced the tracking sessions with his responsibilities as a father of two toddlers.

On "Goodbye Albuquerque Tuesday Night" — which unfolds like a road warrior's fond farewell to the endless touring cycle — Dickinson pays tribute to the changing priorities that now bring him back to Mississippi after each batch of shows. Equally influenced by Huey Lewis and the Grateful Dead, the song shines a light on a longtime creator whose musical interests go far beyond Memphis blues. Elsewhere, Homemade offers everything from vintage, barn-burning rock & roll ("Walk Right In") to Ray Charles-worthy R&B ("Black Out Curtains") and modern-day gospel ("Can’t Feel At Home," featuring vocals from Tikyra Jackson). Arriving on the heels of the standalone single "All Night Long" — a Junior Kimbrough classic that Dickinson heard often as a child, back when he attended weekly shows at Kimbrough's juke joint in Tchulahoma, Mississippi — 

Homemade marks a full-circle moment for the songwriter, showcasing not only where Dickinson is going, but where he's been, too.

For the Dickinsons, family heritage has always been important. Long before he co-founded North Mississippi Allstars, Dickinson received a firsthand education from his father, Jim Dickinson, a Memphis icon who played piano on The Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses," produced Big Star's cult classic Third, and contributed pump organ to Bob Dylan's Time Out Of Mind. That family legacy continues to thrive on Homemade, which features artwork from Dickinson's daughter, Mavis. The toddler also makes her singing debut on "Goodbye Albuquerque Tuesday Night."