North Mississippi Allstars/ Anders Osborne

Biography

North Mississippi Allstars and Anders Osborne joined forces as North Mississippi Osborne (N.M.O.), a collaborative project that fuses hill country blues and Southern rock with New Orleans roots, funk, and songwriter‑driven rock.[1][3][8] Anders Osborne, born May 4, 1966, in Uddevalla, Sweden, grew up obsessed with music and poetry, traveling through Europe as a teenager before arriving in New Orleans in 1986, where he immediately felt at home in the city’s rich musical culture.[2][3] He released his debut album Doin’ Fine in 1989 and gradually built a reputation as a powerful singer‑songwriter and guitarist, blending blues, rock, folk, and soul while becoming a fixture of the New Orleans scene.[2][3]

The North Mississippi Allstars, formed by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson in the late 1990s, came out of the North Mississippi hill country blues tradition, creating a modern blend of blues rock, jam‑band improvisation, and Southern roots music; their long affinity with Osborne on the road and in the studio led to the formation of N.M.O. as a formal band configuration.[1][8] In 2015 they recorded the collaborative album Freedom & Dreams together, capturing a sound that joined the Allstars’ earthy grooves and electric hill‑country vamps with Osborne’s emotionally charged songwriting, open‑tuned guitar work, and intense, Crazy Horse‑influenced rock sensibility.[3][8] Both live and on record, North Mississippi Osborne showcase an expansive, improvisational approach rooted in blues and Americana but open to extended jamming, dynamic shifts, and socially and emotionally direct lyrics, further cementing all of the musicians’ reputations in the modern blues‑rock and jam‑band worlds.[1][3][8]

Fun Facts

• Anders Osborne left Sweden as a teenager with a strong case of wanderlust, traveling across Europe and arriving in the United States with almost no money—he hitchhiked from New York to New Orleans in the mid‑1980s and decided to stay permanently after falling in love with the city.[2][3]
• Osborne’s signature guitar sound comes largely from his use of open D tuning, which he adopted after hearing Joni Mitchell’s album Blue and realizing his fingers “just fit the tuning.”[3]
• Besides his own albums, Osborne has written songs recorded by major artists across genres, including country star Tim McGraw’s #1 hit “Watch The Wind Blow By” and cuts by Brad Paisley, Aaron Neville, Trombone Shorty, and others.[2][3]
• Osborne has been honored multiple times in New Orleans: Guitar Player magazine dubbed him “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene,” while local outlets such as Gambit Weekly and OffBeat have repeatedly named him Best Guitarist, Best Songwriter, and Entertainer of the Year, and he has appeared at Jazz Fest for roughly 35 years.[3][4][7]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Joni Mitchell - Stylistic influence on Anders Osborne’s guitar approach through her use of open tunings; her album Blue inspired his signature open D tuning. (Joni Mitchell’s album Blue influencing Osborne’s adoption of open D tuning and his subsequent songwriting and guitar style.) [Influence noted from Osborne’s formative years through his mature work.[3]]
• New Orleans blues and roots tradition - Broad musical and cultural influence on Osborne after he settled in New Orleans, shaping his blend of blues, rock, R&B, and singer‑songwriter styles. (Early albums such as Doin’ Fine and later works on Alligator Records reflect this synthesis of New Orleans roots, blues, and rock.) [From Osborne’s arrival in New Orleans in 1986 onward.[2][3]]

Key Collaborators

• North Mississippi Allstars (Luther and Cody Dickinson) - Core collaborators with Anders Osborne in the joint band North Mississippi Osborne (N.M.O.), combining hill‑country blues and New Orleans roots rock. (Album Freedom & Dreams (2015) and touring as North Mississippi Osborne (N.M.O.).) [Mid‑2010s onward, notably around the 2015 album and related touring.[1][3][8]]
• Keb’ Mo’ - Songwriting collaborator; Osborne co‑wrote songs recorded by Keb’ Mo’. (Two songs co‑written by Osborne on Keb’ Mo’s Grammy‑winning 1999 album Slow Down.) [Late 1990s, particularly around the 1999 release of Slow Down.[2][3]]
• Tim McGraw - Country artist who recorded and popularized Osborne’s songwriting. (Recorded Osborne’s song “Watch The Wind Blow By,” which became a #1 country hit.) [Early 2000s, around the single’s chart success.[2][3]]
• Tab Benoit - Louisiana blues guitarist and singer whose albums Osborne has produced and written for. (Osborne produced and played on critically acclaimed Tab Benoit albums in 2011.[2]) [Around 2011, continuing collaboration in the Louisiana blues scene.[2]]
• Johnny Sansone - New Orleans harmonica player and singer frequently collaborating with Osborne in the studio. (Osborne produced and played on Sansone albums (circa 2011) and featured him on harmonica and accordion on Osborne’s EP Three Free Amigos.[2]) [Early 2010s collaborations.[2]]
• Mike Zito - Blues‑rock guitarist and singer whose album Osborne helped shape as producer and player. (Critically acclaimed album produced and played on by Osborne in 2011.[2]) [2011 production and recording work.[2]]
• Phil Lesh - Grateful Dead bassist who has invited Osborne to tour and perform as a guest guitarist/vocalist. (Live performances and tours with Phil Lesh & Friends, drawing on roots, rock, and improvisation.) [2010s touring collaborations.[2][8]]
• Toots and the Maytals - Reggae legends with whom Osborne has toured and performed. (Guest appearances and touring work blending Osborne’s roots rock guitar with classic reggae.) [2000s–2010s touring collaborations.[2][3]]
• Dr. John - New Orleans icon with whom Osborne has shared stages, reinforcing his place in the city’s roots‑music pantheon. (Live performances in New Orleans and festival contexts.) [Various performances over Osborne’s New Orleans career.[3]]
• Steve Earle - Songwriting and educational collaborator with Osborne at a songwriting camp. (Co‑leading and teaching at Camp Copperhead songwriting camp.) [Since 2019, recurring annual collaboration at Camp Copperhead.[3]]

Artists Influenced

• Contemporary New Orleans roots and blues musicians - Osborne’s recognition as “the poet laureate of Louisiana’s fertile roots music scene” and repeated awards for guitar and songwriting underscore his influence on younger New Orleans‑based artists who look to his blend of blues, rock, and introspective songwriting as a model. (His extensive catalog, including Alligator Records releases like American Patchwork and his long‑running presence at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, provide templates for blending personal songwriting with heavy roots‑rock sounds.) [1990s–present, as his profile and accolades within the New Orleans scene have grown.[2][3][7]]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Up and Rolling (Up and Rolling)
2. Meet Me In the City (World Boogie Is Coming)
3. Set Sail part I (featuring Lamar Williams Jr.) (Set Sail)
4. See the Moon (featuring Lamar Williams Jr. and Sharisse Norman) (Set Sail)
5. Mean Old World (Up and Rolling)
6. What You Gonna Do? (Up and Rolling)
7. Dyin' days (Freedom & Dreams)
8. Catfish (Catfish)
9. Rollin 'N Tumblin (World Boogie Is Coming)
10. Shake 'Em On Down (Shake Hands With Shorty)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia