Peter Joseph Burtt plays 21, and we’re not talking about cards.Burtt plays a 21-string kora, an instrument invented in West Africa. He is backed by members of Mama’s Cookin,’ to form the new North Shore band Peter Joseph Burtt and the King Tide, which performs free on Friday, Feb. 17, in the Grid Bar and Grill at Kings Beach.“He is one of the most soulful people I have ever met and there is no denying the greatness of his classic songs,” said Mama’s Cookin’s guitarist Zebuel Early.The band is in the process of recording an album which should be released this spring, Early said. The other members are Steven LaBella (bass guitar, vocals), Mike Adamo (drums, samples) and Todd Holway (keys, vocals). Burtt lived and studied music in Africa for three years.“I never wanted to come back,” he told the audience last week during a performance in the Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room.Early is the host of the Grid’s weekly Bass Heavy Wednesdays, which features guest DJs.