We’ve been gabbin’ a lot about the retro soul renaissance lately…so much so that y’all must be getting pretty sick of reading about it. But what comes after soul? That’s right. Funk. And boy oh boy do we gotta have that funk here in Central Texas.
So with our scopes still set on the Lone Star State, let’s talk Gypsy Mitchell. This Dallas-born singer-songwriter-guitarist-arranger’s had a jam packed journey over the years; he founded gospel funk outfit The Relatives when he was just seventeen, went on to provide six-string for blues legend Buddy Ace in the ’80s, and has played alongside the likes of Little Milton, Johnny Taylor, and Joe Simon. Safe to say, Mitchell’s got an impressive resumé.
These days your best bet to catch Mitchell in person is here in Austin haunting venues like Antone’s and C-Boy’s, but it’s only been within the past year that Gypsy’s shifted gears towards a solo career. Like a fine wine freshly cracked from a well-aged cask, Gypsy Mitchell dropped the introductory “Movin’ (Down the Highway)” last December and teamed up with Houston institution Paul Wall this January for “I’m Still Standing”, all ahead of his debut Love Is…Infinite, out October 25th, with a release show to follow November 15th at Antone’s alongside Egyptian Lover.
And the LP’s latest lead single “Drive By” is joined by a music video that shows a whole lotta love for Busty’s Bar & Jukebox, making it a must-view for motorheads who haven’t made that pilgrimage yet. Bold talk box toggles the ignition on this soul-funk-rocker, chock full of psychedelic lights, classic cars, grins, and tabletop performances. And in light of the video’s charmingly low-budget production, the tune itself is a rich testament to Gypsy Mitchell’s status as a class act as it cruises through bluesy grooves, gospel-style group vocals, virtuoso instrumental riffs (thanks in no small part to longtime collaborators Zach Ernst (guitar) and Matthew Strmiska (percussion) of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears), and commanding vocals.
In other words, we sure as hell hope Gypsy doesn’t put things in park anytime soon.