Christopher Wyze & The Tellers

Stuck In The Mud

Big Radio Records

Christopher Wyze was awarded a “One To Watch” songwriter award by the Nashville Songwriters Association Intl.; this is his debut recording. Eight of the songs were co-written by Chris and his producer Ralph Carter. Two more were written by Chris (a.k.a.Chris Wirthwein) and Cary Hudson who also plays acoustic and slide guitar; two with bassist Gerry Murphy, and one with electric guitarist Eric Deaton. Ten of the songs were recorded in Muscle Shoals Alabama at the Ivy Manor, and three more songs were recorded at The Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale,Mississippi.

Chris opens with the country-ish “Three Hours from Memphis” and the lyric “Headed south, on my way, started out years ago there today, said you wanna make it, you gotta play, down in Memphis, where you make your hay, I had big dreams to be a big thing, whiskey and women my full-time fling, they asked about me, said this kid can sing, but he ain’t Elvis – he won’t be the next King…fifteen years of paying my dues, I did it on my own…I’m three hours from Memphis and I’m not turning back”.

On the title track, “Stuck in the Mud”, a Hill Country Blues, Chris sings about his own mortality, “No steps forward, no steps back, struggle now and have a heart attack, broke and busted, don’t have a dime, I’m goin down slow, lord I’m doin’ my time, after the flood, I’m stuck in the mud”. On “Cotton Ain’t King” and on all the songs, Chris’ vocals are beautifully sung, his voice has clarity as he annunciates his lyrics “Have you been down to the Delta?, have you seen the cotton grow?…close your eyes and listen to the blues, it makes you whole”; Eric Deaton plays some fine slide guitar.

On “Soul on the Road” Deaton is finger picking on a National resonator guitar, when he switches to a narrative he reminds me of Guy Clark. “I met a fella, he told a story, ’bout life on the road, of truckin’…totin’ boxes but never carryin’ no load, feet always movin’ and roots that never grow, a mark never left, no place to go”. “Hey Mr. Advertising Man, I bought your cigarettes, tried a pack, smoked a few, ain’t quit’ em yet, I got the blues, got them money spent blues, but everything you want to sell me, from my head down to my shoes, give me fifteen minutes baby, then you’ll have my full attention, gonna save fifteen percent…got them money spent blues”. Brad Kuhn takes a nice piano solo.

Chris plays harmonica on four songs. “Hard Work Don’t Pay”, “Well I once had a job, work hard every day…gonna tell you what I learned, hard work don’t pay”. On “Good Friend Gone”, “I was born in Indiana, cross the line from Illinois…I wasn’t such a good kid, me and my friend were bad boys”. Chris also plays harmonica on “Wake Up” and on the romantic “Someday”. The song “Life Behind Bars” is structured like a Merle Haggard song.

Chris Wyze is a master storyteller. This debut album fuses his influences; repeated listening is highly recommended.

Richard Ludmerer

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