Here’s the latest single from the three-time Grammy-nominated blues legend Eric Bibb. ‘Didn’t I Keep Runnin’ follows a brilliant grooving rhythm with great depth provided by sweet fiddle flourishes and uplifting backing vocals. Over the top, Bibb’s banjo-playing is urgent, and the musical layers combine with vibrant energy. It’s powerful stuff matched by the importance of the song’s subject matter.
Bibb explains the song’s key theme: “‘Didn’t I Keep Runnin” was inspired by an old photograph, depicting a peg-footed banjo player, who was surely a slave who had tried to escape. Runaway slaves who were captured after unsuccessful attempts to flee were often punished with the amputation of a foot to prevent further flight and to discourage other slaves from trying. As I see it, we’re all still on the road to freedom.”
The single is taken from Bibb’s brand new album “One Mississippi”, which has just been released. Musically adventurous and full of stories, the album features 13 original songs, written by Bibb or co-written with his Grammy-nominated producer, Glen Scott. Bibb says, “This new collection of stories, from a not-too-distant American past and a tense global present, is a call for peace, justice and unity in a divided world,” and it’s an important message in challenging times. Eric Bibb continues to deliver music with soul and depth that sounds forever fresh.
