Mason Casey

While Steve Cropper, Felix Cavaliere and Anton Fig all stopped by the Sofa King Badass sessions, it’s Mason Casey’s show from start to finish. His rough growl sounds like it was incubated in the Mississippi mud, with searing harp work that’s pure Chicago, blazing with dark blue neon soul. With producer/guitarist/songwriter John Tiven at the helm, Casey, who played harmonica with soul great Wilson Pickett, lays down 12 tracks that never stray far from the basics, even as they explore new horizons. “My Prayer” fuses Casey’s sanctified testifying with Tiven’s Pentecostal Hammond B3 and a reggae backbeat; “Taxi Love” is a glowering sexual grind that features Casey’s sneering vocals and sly, sleazy harp lines; while “Nine Times a Man” sounds like Howlin’ Wolf visiting Hi Records in the ’70s.