Magpie Salute

Audio Mixers: Chris Bittner; Michael Birnbaum.
Recording information: Applehead Recording, Woodstock, NY.
Creators: Chris Bittner; Michael Birnbaum.
Rich Robinson decided to reach out to Marc Ford in 2014, a gesture that healed a decade's worth of animosity between the two Black Crowes guitarists. They in turn brought former Crowes keyboardist Eddie Harsch into a circle that included Robinson's touring band -- which also featured Sven Pipien, who played bass in the waning days of the Black Crowes -- and this crew of seven musicians and three backup singers formed the Magpie Salute. Harsch passed during the recording of the group's eponymous 2017 debut -- they recruited Matt Slocum in his place -- but the essential fact remains: the Magpie Salute sound like a reconstituted version of the Black Crowes, only heavier. Some of that weight is due to how the focus of the group is on the interplay between Robinson and Ford, who keep spiraling solos and riffs, intertwining and weaving instead of battling. Some of this heaviness is also due to the absence of Chris Robinson, who was a charismatic frontman in the Crowes and also brought along a strong dose of hippie mysticism. Despite a cover of Pink Floyd's "Fearless," the Magpie Salute have no time for the cosmos. They're proudly earthbound as they crank out versions of old Delaney & Bonnie and Faces tunes, dabbling in a few deep Crowes cuts for good measure. The presence of these oldies underscores how this group is mature -- not as reckless in approach, but confident and assured, a band of lifers who still gain sustenance from playing the music of their life. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine