The Muscle in Muscle Shoals
by Jim Ridley
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If anybody can testify to the curative powers of soul, it’s the man Kris Kristofferson dubbed “Funky Donnie Fritts”—a Muscle Shoals legend who shakes off the toughest punches life throws, whether it’s ill health or (just last week) some no-good sumbitch busting into his hotel room and making off with lots of valuables, including his wife’s wedding ring. The secret may be in his latest album, the Dan Penn-produced One Foot in the Groove, where Fritts drawls with laidback charm and winning good humor about troubles real and imagined over the deep-bottomed backing of his session-great friends. A part of cultural landmarks as diverse as Dusty in Memphis and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Fritts gathers fellow Scorpios such as Bonnie Bramlett and Delbert McClinton for an all-star birthday bash, and you never know who else might sit in. If nothing else, stop by to wish the birthday boy congratulations on his induction into the Alabama Musicians’ Hall of Fame.
Thu., Nov. 6, 8:30 p.m., 2008
Thu., Nov. 6, 8:30 p.m., 2008
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