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Bringin' It All Back Home
Studio album by Johnny Copeland
Released	1985
Genre	Texas blues, African folk music
Length	35:17
Label	Rounder
Producer	Dan Doyle
Johnny Copeland chronology
Texas Twister (1984) Bringin' It All Back Home (1985) Blues Power (1989)

Bringin' It All Back Home is an album by the American musician Johnny Copeland. It was released in 1985. Copeland supported the album with a North American tour.

Production

Copeland recorded the album in March 1984 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where he collaborated with African musicians. It was produced by his manager, Dan Doyle. Bringin' It All Back Home is considered the first time an American blues musician recorded an album in Africa. Copeland decided to record there after his 1982 tour of the continent; many of the album's songs were inspired by the trek. Copeland included African percussion and the kora on many of the tracks.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau	B+
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide

Robert Christgau wrote that the band "finds a groove somewhere between an airborne Congolese rumba and a Gulf Coast shuffle with some tricky dance figures thrown in." The Chicago Tribune noted that "African rhythms and instruments wind their way in and out of Copeland's more familiar Texas blues, sometimes seeming exotic, other times seeming perfectly normal." The New York Times stated that Copeland "sings with a strong, persuasive urgency," and concluded that he "comfortably extended his reach by working with an African rhythm section."

The Globe and Mail determined that "the singer-guitarist's music at its best moves, and the accompanying horn and rhythm sections here prove a cumbersome weight on the motion." The Toronto Star deemed the album "compelling listening, an almost off-handed synthesis of African roots music and raw, elemental blues."

Track listing

All tracks are written by Johnny Copeland except where noted

Personnel

Musicians

• Johnny Copeland – guitar, vocals
• Michael Merritt – bass
• Jimmy Wormworth – drums
• Jimmy Hyacinthe, Joel Perry, and Malina – guitars
• Halial, Jean-Claude Kungnon, and Souliman Moamed – percussion
• Koffi Assalé – alto saxophone
• Bert McGowan – tenor saxophone
• Emmet King – trombone
• Ben Bierman – trumpet
• Ken Vangel – piano
• Djeli Mousa – kora (tracks 4 and 5)

Technical

• Dan Doyle – producer, liner notes
• Émile Valognes and Pamphile de Souza – recording engineers
• Dominique Samarcq – mixing engineer
• George Peckham – mastering engineer
• Ken Vangel – arrangement
• Steve Billington – design
• Albert Loudes – photography
• Souleymane Coulibaly – technical assistance

References

1. The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 134.
2. "Johnny Copeland Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
3. Dicaire, David (October 1, 1999). Blues Singers: Biographies of 50 Legendary Artists of the Early 20th Century. McFarland. ISBN 9780786406067.
4. ^ MusicHound Blues: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 92.
5. Haight, Kathy (March 21, 1986). "Copeland Found Piece of Soul in West Africa". Charlotte Observer. p. 1E.
6. Herzhaft, Gérard (September 17, 1997). Encyclopedia of the Blues-2nd (p). University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 9781610751391.
7. Snowden, Don (2 Feb 1986). "Copeland Takes Blues 'Home' to Africa". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 74.
8. Snowden, Don (1986). "From Out of the Blues". The Reggae & African Beat. Vol. 5, no. 2. pp. 26–29.
9. Komara, Edward M. (September 17, 2006). Encyclopedia of the Blues: A-J. Taylor & Francis US. ISBN 9780415927000.
10. ^ Quill, Greg (25 Apr 1986). "Bringin' It All Back Home, Johnny Copeland". Toronto Star. p. D20.
11. Joyce, Mike (17 Apr 1987). "Texas Blues & the Horns of Africa". The Washington Post. p. B7.
12. Snider, Eric (12 Aug 1988). "Lean, Lone-Star Blues". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 22.
13. "Johnny Copeland Bringin' It All Back Home". AllMusic.
14. ^ "Johnny Copeland". Robert Christgau.
15. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 543.
16. Brogan, Daniel (24 Jan 1986). "Johnny Copeland, Bringin' It All Back Home". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 50.
17. Holden, Stephen (30 Jan 1987). "Johnny Copeland". The New York Times. p. C21.
18. Miller, Mark (24 Apr 1986). "Bringin' It All Back Home Johnny Copeland". The Globe and Mail. p. D5.

• Johnny Copeland albums
• 1985 albums
• Rounder Records albums
• Texas blues albums
• Folk albums by American artists