Smiling Assassins
The Gothic Theater
Denver, CO
28 Feb 03

 John "Jojo" Hermann - Keyboards, Rythm Guitar, Vocals:  from Widespead Panic, Beanland
 Luther Dickinson -  Lead Guitar, Vocals - from North Mississippi Allstars DDT, The Word
 Cody Dickinson - Drums - from North Mississippi Allstars, DDT, The Word
 Paul "C-Dawg" "Crumpy" Edwards -  Bass - from Bloodkin
 
*Cedrick Burnside: Drums, Vocals - from Kenny Brown Band, R.L. Burnside Band
 +Kenny Brown: Guitar, Vocals - from Kenny Brown Band, R.L. Burnside Band

Smiling Assassin  Smokin' Factory  It's My Time  Run You Down  And You Wonder Why  Mountain Hideaway  Don't Let Me Down*  Plan To Die Young  Let It All Go  Stagger Lee

Don't Look Down  All In Your Mind  Mrs. Brown  Abilene  Aim To Speed  Are You Ready For The Country?  Annie Stay  Let My Baby Ride*+ > Drums* > Let My Baby Ride*+  My Mind Is Ramblin'*+  Shake Your Money Maker+  Alice Mae*+

I Feel Alright*+  Instrumental*+  I'm Not Your Stepping Stone  Don't Throw It Away  Daisy Mae

return

As the keyboard player for Widespread Panic, Jojo Hermann now calls Atlanta home, but it's in Mississippi - where he once played coffeehouses and clubs with his old band Beanland -- that he considers his true roots to lie. And in the last few years, whenever he's had the chance, Hermann has stepped out from behind the keyboards, picked up a guitar, and headed back to Oxford, Mississippi -- back to the familiarity of his old stomping grounds and his old friends - to strum some "cowboy chords" and have some good old musical fun. Hermann has lived in and around Oxford, Mississippi since 1987. He toured the South extensively with Beanland until 1992, when he went to Georgia to play with Widespread Panic.

In October 2000, Hermann got serious about these side-trips, and holed up with longtime pals Luther and Cody Dickinson,  and Paul "Crumpy" Edwards (Bloodkin) in Water Valley's Money Shot Studio where they recorded the album The Smiling Assassin for Fat Possum Records. A little more than two years later, Hermann returns with the follow-up entitled Defector. Many of the elements are the same: Jojo once again plays not only piano, but also guitar, Edwards is back on bass and Luther & Cody Dickinson once again handle additional guitar and drums.

 Making it an even more North Mississippi hootenanny, Kenny Brown and Cedric Burnside form the R.L. Burnside band sit in on the album. Kenny Brown and Cedric Burnside had been spending a lot of time at the Money Shot as well, recording Kenny Brown's Fat Possum debut, Stingray. Just about the only thing that would make the whole thing come together perfectly would be if they went out on tour together.  And ulala .  . here we have ti -- an excellent show and sound.