Three minute, 12-bar, Delta-style blues remain the staple of guitarist and vocalist 84-year old Little Freddie King. Born in Mississippi and the cousin of the famed Lightnin’ Hopkins, King’s honest approach to the genre has remained true throughout and has been embraced by local audiences during the many years he has called New Orleans his home.

King knows how to tell a story whether it’s with his own words or as he does on Things I Used to Do he turns to the lyrics of some of his favorite blues artists. On the opening cut, “Hobo Man,” his honest delivery of the line, “When I first started hoboin’ take a freight train to be my friend,” one believes every word. Here he is joined by the harp of Robert DiTullio and is often accompanied by bassist Paul Defiglia. Next up is “Smokestack Lightning” a treasure from the pen of the legendary Howlin’ Wolf. As he does throughout the album, King’s pure, unfeathered guitar strumming lays down the mood and rhythm on which his vocals find a familiar pallet.

He turns to the legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe for “Up Above My Head” a gospel classic that takes on a front porch identity—or perhaps the setting is a small, wooden church nestled in a clearing in the woods.

King does a great job on the title cut, belting out the opening lyrics, “The things that I used to do…” as written by the great Guitar Slim who had a slam dunk with the single released in 1953. Here King transforms both vocally on guitar and vocals into a soul blues man and shows his more urban side in his single note guitar solo.

While Little Freddie King is always Little Freddie King, on Things I Used to Do listeners can detect the subtle diversities that he wisely brings to every tune.