Shawn Mullins : 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor

With acoustic tracks recorded at the titular New Orleans studio, pre-Hurricane Katrina, Mullins has crafted a diverse offering that encompasses folk, rock, Celtic, and country, often interlocking in the same tune. He aims for early Black Crowes territory on the gospel-laced 'Faith', and gives a personal spin to a self-penned murder ballad 'Cold Black Heart', which is dominated by his work on charango, an Andean mandolin. Vanguard. 2006.