It's hard to pick favorites, but grabbers include "Standin' In The Rain." Reminiscent of early Robert Cray; the smoky, low-key funk plea "Caught Up in a Crossfire"; the fiery stop-time shuffle "Strung Out"; and two Southern soul duets with fellow JSP labelmate Mary Taylor: the Memphis stroller We Can Make It If We Try" and the loping Tyrone Davis-style dancer "My Baby Won't Change" (both penned by producer/saxist Bruce Fiener). The most anomalous track is "Cuttin' Loose," an instrumental in the style of George Benson or Phil Upchurch, while the slow-burn title track pas tribute to some to Thompson's fellow Mississippi bluesmen past and present and to the city of Greenville. Lil' Dave Thompson's confident, aggressive guitar solos combine the buzz-saw snarl of Albert King and the sweet, metallic sting of Little Milton, and his unpretentious vocals seem equally influenced by blues and soul. This is an important album, and a triumph of sorts by a major young talent who didn't atrophy into semi-obscurity.

Kelly Richey has been described as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out.” That’s an apt appraisal of the Lexington, Kentucky native who’s been based in Cincinnati for many years. Richey has often been compared to such greats as Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan because of her ability to capture and entertain an audience with ripping guitar leads that both sing and astonish.

Tickets are available in-person-only at the State Theatre Box Office, or through TicketMaster by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and online at ticketmaster.com.