| Delta Hurricane | |
| Type: | Album |
| Artist: | Larry McCray |
| Border: | yes |
| Released: | 1993 |
| Genre: | Blues |
| Label: | Pointblank[1] |
| Producer: | Mike Vernon |
| Prev Title: | Ambition |
| Prev Year: | 1990 |
| Next Title: | Meet Me at the Lake |
| Next Year: | 1996 |
Delta Hurricane is the second album by the American musician Larry McCray, released in 1993.[2] [3] McCray supported the album with a North American tour.[4]
Recorded in Memphis, the album was produced by Mike Vernon.[5] Unlike McCray's debut, Delta Hurricane was recorded as a band album, rather than a demo on which other players contributed.[6] McCray's guitar style was mostly influenced by his father and older sister.[7]
"Soul Shine" is a cover of the Warren Haynes song.[8] "Blue River" is an instrumental.[9] A horn section played on many of the songs.[10] Tony Zamagni played keyboards on the album.[11] McCray's brother Steve played drums.[12]
Stereo Review wrote that "McCray is, above all, a superb blues-guitar player, combining the lyricism of an Eric Clapton with the power of a Son Seals."[13] The Chicago Tribune noted that "McCray is very much a '90s bluesman, unafraid of mixing in rock, soul and even the occasional heavy-metal touch in his music." The State concluded that "McCray's paint-peeling guitar solos are simply awesome, packed with the kind of electric fire that Muddy Waters dreamed about on his first trip to Chicago."[14]
The Toronto Star determined that "the great combo of tenderness and toughness in Larry McCray highlights Delta Hurricane.[15] The Austin American-Statesman deemed Delta Hurricane the eighth best blues album of 1993, writing that "McCray forcefully makes his case for inclusion in the upper echelon of contemporary blues artists."[16] The Boston Herald called it "the best contemporary blues release of the year—and maybe last year, too."[17]
AllMusic wrote that McCray's "guitar work is ... authentic; there aren't any flashy phrases or flamboyant riffs, just pile-driving lines, barreling statements and energetic support for his vocals."