Pinetop Perkins Pinetop's Boogie Woogie

Best known as Muddy Waters' pianist after Otis Spann left, Joe Willie 'Pinetop' Perkins also spent time with the King Biscuit Time radio program, played (and recorded) with the likes of Earl Hooker, and Robert Nighthawk, and was a founding member of the Legendary Blues Band after Muddy's seventies' band split from their leader. He has a new album on Antone's Pinetop's Boogie Woogie which is a well played and recorded collection of Chicago style blues. He is backed by members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds (harpist Kim Wilson sounds particularly good here), James Cotton, Hubert Sumlin, Luther Tucker, Willie Smith and Calvin Jones. There is plenty of strong band work and soloing, and Pinetop's solid two handed piano provides more than a solid foundation.

Unfortunately, Pinetop's low-key vocals are not nearly as strong or colorful as his keyboard work and his treatment of jump blues like Eddie Vinson's Kidney Stew, and Louis Jordan's Caldonia, are not memorable. His laconic, low-key singing is more successful on Sunny Road, and is most effective on Jimmy Reed's You Don't Have to Go, and his own Ida B. (which reminds me of Robert Nighthawk's Anna Lee). The impact of these recordings is also diminished by the fact Pinetop has recorded many of the songs before.

This review originally appeared in Issue 178 of Jazz & Blues Report from 1992. I made some minor changes to this review. I likely received a review copy from the label or a publicist. 

Howlin' Wolf and Elmore James

Chester Burnett was well known as the Howlin’ Wolf, and The Chess Box is an excellent three compact disc boxed set which is a fine survey of his compelling recordings starting with a healthy dose of his early Memphis recordings for Sam Phillips with the great Willie Johnson on guitar through his classic Chicago recordings with the likes of Otis Spann and Hubert Sumlin. While some of his later recordings perhaps showed the wear from his health, the music remains as gripping, whether on his reworking of Charlie Patton’s Saddle My Pony, Smoke Stack Lightning, How Many More Years, I Asked For Water, Rocking Daddy, Spoonful, Who’s Been Talking, Back Door Man, Killing Floor and others. There is one recording from his London session album with a variety of rock superstars, a couple of solo acoustic selections recorded at the otherwise best forgotten psychedelic album and some brief excerpts from an interview. The booklet contains biographical information and a review of his music. Another classic boxed set reissue.

One artist who diffused Robert Johnson’s music was Elmore James, whose most celebrated recording, Dust My Broom, married Johnson’s riff from Rambling on My Mind, with the lyrics for I’ll Believe

I’ll Dust My Broom. Elmore recycled this along with several other themes throughout his recordings career that spanned from 1951-1963. His last recordings (from 1959 to 1963 (with the exception of a 1960 Chess session) were made for Bobby Robinson’s Fire, Fury and Enjoy labels. Recently I noted a fine Relic collection Rollin’ and Tumblin’, that had most of his best recordings for Robinson. Poor Relic, insofar as Capricorn has just issued Elmore James, King of Slide Guitar, The Fire/Fury Recordings, that may represent all of the songs Elmore recorded for Bobby Robinson. There is a booklet that includes remembrances of Elmore by Sam Myers, Bobby Robinson and others, a biography, general appreciation and discographical information. Although I have heard this on a preview cassette, the sound (like the Relic) seemed particularly good. Unless you already have the Relic, this is a must buy, and it isn’t extravagantly priced.

This review originally appeared in the December 1992 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 177)  (along with reviews of Lightnin' Hopkins box sets that was posted yesterday). I likely received review copies from the record companies. Both sets are available as downloads and can be obtained as used (although Collectables has also has a box set of the Elmore). While not perfect, a recent public domain reissue of Elmore James, The Ultimate Collection (Not Now) is a handy compilation surveying his recordings from the entire span of his recording career although includes a few accompaniments to others as well as his featured recordings).

The Howlin’ Wolf Story - Flawed Documentary on Blues Legend

A movie documentary, The Howlin’ Wolf Story, on the legendary blues performer, Chester “Howlin’ Wolf’ Burnett has also been issued on DVD as part of Bluebird The Secret History of Rock & Roll series. The DVD claims to include 30 minutes of additional footage that was not in the theatrical release, although any such release must have been highly limited. 

This documentary brings together some very rare television performance clips of the Wolf. It contains the recollections of his former sidemen Hubert Sumlin, Jody Williams, and Sam Lay, the late Sam Phillips who was the first to record Wolf, legendary rockabilly guitarist Paul Burlison (remembering Wolf from when they had programs on the same West Memphis radio station), bluesman Billy Boy Arnold, Wolf’s two daughters, Bob Koester, Mark Hoffman (one of the authors of the forthcoming Wolf Biography) , music writer, Robert Gordon and Dick Shurman, blues writer and record producer. The film traces Wolf's career from growing up in the delta to his last days in Chicago. One gets a sense of the real person. We get to know about Wolf the family man as well as the powerful, almost feral, stage performer. The high points are the performance clips and one understands the incredible presence he had on stage. 

This is not a perfect film. I could have done without watching Wolf’s recording of Smokestack Lightning used essentially as a soundtrack for some vintage train footage. One wonders why other former Wolf sidemen like Detroit Jr., Henry Gray and Eddie Shaw were not included in remembering Wolf. As far as the DVD presentation of the materials, it is unfortunate that one could not also have viewed the performances separate from the film as an additional feature. It also would have been helpful to have the movie chaptered from the DVD menu to make navigating it a little bit easier. 

There are some extras including Sam Lay’s home movies and interview segments an a live audio of Wolf performance. Still this DVD is well worth it if for no other reason than to watch Wolf perform. Despite its flaws, I still recommend this movie. 

This review originally appeared in the December 2003 - January 2004 DC Blues Calendar. I believe I may have purchased this.

Big George Brock Is Ready For Round Two

Bluesman Big George Brock won acclaim for his debut disc, Club Caravan. Round Two (Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Inc.) is his follow-up and brings the gruff voiced bluesman with his band augmented by special guest guitarist Hubert Sumlin on two tracks. Brock was born in Grenada ,Mississippi (Magic Sam’s birthplace I believe) and spent many years in St. Louis before returning South. Nothing fancy about Brock’s singing or harp here as he delivers straight ahead performances that echo legends like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.

After a short spoken intro, Brock opens with the lengthy So Long, where he tells his woman she is going to miss him when he’s gone, as he blows some simple but hard-edged harp as Sumlin throws in his unpredictable twisting licks in support , while No, No Baby, is a simple medium tempo rocker followed by another song associated with Wolf, Poor Boy, although with hints of Fred McDowell and RL Burnside in the backing. Rockin’ Chair sports a spare backing along with Brock’s tough down home harp, while Mattson, MS is a short instrumental with a groove not far removed from a fife and drum band, whereas the feel of Mr. Wal Mart is pretty lowdown with its bump and grind groove as he pleads for Mr. Wal Mart to send his baby home.

Sumlin returns for Brock’s reprise of Wolf’s Shake For Me, an amiable it not riveting performance. Arkansas to Memphis has Brock backed by acoustic guitar, which is followed by the title track, then a rendition of Sugar Mama, followed by Burden Down, the traditional gospel number in a rendition likely owing a bit to the legendary Fred McDowell. Brock ends the proceedings with a short solo track, Call Me Lover, with a spoken intro before he launches into a buoyant performance.

This is an enjoyable collection of downhome Chicago-inspired blues with a heavy Howlin’ Wolf accent that may not be the second coming of the Wolf but makes for some nice listening. It has national distribution but is readily available on cdbaby.com or the Cat Head website, http://www.cathead.biz/index.html.


This review appeared in the October 2006 Jazz & Blues Report. I do not remember if I received a review copy from publicist or purchased this. Here is a video of Big George performing.

Hubert Sumlin at 2010 Pocono Blues Festival

2010-0724 Pocono Blues Day 2-2173, originally uploaded by NoVARon.

Just found out that Hubert Sumlin just passed away at the age of 80. The 2010 Pocono Blues Festival was the last time I saw Hubert when he was part of an All Star Chicago blues review that included Willie Smith on harmonica (and Willie recently passed away) and Bob Stroger, in the back, was on bass.

Hubert was best known for his association with Howlin' Wolf as well as on sessions with such other blues legends as Sunnyland Slim. He was alas one of the nicest folks you could ever want to meet which is why he was beloved in the blues community.

Here is Hubert and Sunnyland Slim

Hubert jamming with some well known admirers

Smokestack Lightning- Howlin' Wolf's Musical Evolution

Chester Arthur Burnett, known as Howlin' Wolf, was one of the seminal blues artists of all time. Sam Phillips who recorded Wolf’s earliest sides said of Wolf “This is where the soul of man never dies.” Having produced similar compilations of Little Walter, Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley amongst others, Hip-O-Select takes us to what is likely two sets of the Chess recordings of the Wolf over four discs, The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960, in an attractive hard back book with sleeves to have ready access to the four CDs that include 97 tracks and a little under 5 hours of music.

The book package contains an overview of Wolf’s music from Peter Guralnick and an overview of the included recordings by Dick Shurman, along with a variety of photos and newspaper clippings with full discographical information. The music ranges from Sam Phillips earliest recordings of Wolf in Memphis that were sent to Chess in Chicago through the 1960 Chicago session that produced Back Dog Man, Wang Dang Doodle and Spoonful. Roughly a third of the recordings on this were recorded by Phillips in Memphis with the remainder in Chicago after the Chess brothers convinced him to move north.

Many of Wolf’s signature recordings are included ranging from the initial release of Moanin’ At Midnight and How Many More Years from his first session in Memphis along with other deep south sounds as Bluebird (Blues), Streamline Woman, Mr. Highway Man and Saddle My Pony, to the Chicago recordings by him including No Place To Go, Forty Four, Smokestack Lightning, The Natchez Burning, Sittin’ On Top Of the World, Mr. Airplane Man, and Back Door Man.

As the selected song titles suggest, there are many impressive sides included that if an artist had simply recorded a couple of songs would be regarded as the basis of a legendary career. In Wolf’s case, his body of work merits this consideration as well as the iconic songs. And the recordings start with the Memphis sides with Willie Johnson on guitar, Willie Steele on drums, Ike Turner, L.C. Hubert or Bill ‘Struction’ Johnson on piano, and on one session James Cotton (who plays on Saddle My Pony). After relocating to Chicago, Wolf’s sessions included Otis Spann and Hosea Lee Kennard on piano, Willie Dixon on bass, Willie Johnson, Jody Williams, Otis “Smokey” Smothers and Hubert Sumlin on guitar, Abb Locke on saxophone and Earl Phillips and fred Below on drums.

While Williams and Johnson are very prominent on the earlier Chicago sessions, these recordings also allow us to appreciate the emergence of Hubert Sumlin as an important and original guitar voice whose guitar lines snaking against the rhythm provided a bite in addition to Wolf’s powerful vocals that provided an immediately recognizable as the recordings evolved with the rollicking boogies of the Memphis days to storming shuffles and emphatically performed slow blues that hit like the Chicago winter winds.

All of the issued recordings are included along with alternate takes and several compilations of alternate takes and studio banter. From a listening standpoint, one wishes some of these alternates were not included in the generally chronological presentation of material, but perhaps at the end of the package. While there is a value of illustrating how the sessions shaped what was ultimately released, one wonders if so much of these multi-take tracks was included to fill out four CDs so they could split Wolf’s Chess recordings into two volumes. This is the only fault one might suggest about this reissue. The sound is quite good on this reissue of some of the greatest blues recordings of the past six or so decades. With the holidays around the corner Howlin’ Wolf’s The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960 will make a terrific gift.

This was a purchase.

Big Head Todd's Well Considered Robert Johnson tribute

Big Head Blues Club is an offshoot of Big Head Todd and The Monsters created by Todd Park Mohr, to help celebrate the Robert Johnson Birthday centenary, 100 Years of Robert Johnson (Ryko/ Big Records). Guitarist and vocalist, Mohr and his band mates, bassist Rob Squires, drummer Brian Nevin and keyboardist Jeremy Lawton are joined by B.B. King, Charlie Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm for renditions of ten of Johnson’s songs. Robert Johnson was a brilliant performer who died way too young so he has become a mythical figure which has led some to make the incredulous assertion that Robert Johnson was most influential blues artist of all time. This unsupported assertion has more to do with myth than reality or blues history. Call Robert Johnson the greatest blues artist of all time. That opinion can be debated but can't be faulted. But calling him the most influential exposes one’s ignorance of the music’s history (and the impact of others) and ignores the fact that if there was no Robert Johnson, blues as we know it would probably have evolved in pretty much the manner it sounds like today.

I have no idea what is included in the physical CD as I received a download promotional copy, but the music on this is not without its pleasures. For one thing, the renditions of Johnson’s songs are not overly reverential as say the tribute albums by Rory Block or Eric Clapton. As a vocalist Mohr may lack the depth of feeling that a Johnny Shines, Elmore James or Big Joe Williams brought to their interpretations of Johnson’s music, but does bring an amiable, gravelly approach and sings with plenty of heart.

The disc opens with Come On In My Kitchen features a funk groove that is more Hill Country flavored than Johnson’s original with a harp break from Charlie Musselwhite. Rambling on My Mind, follows with an emphatic groove that is slowed down from the original. Cedric Burnside is on acoustic guitar and Lightning Malcolm on slide guitar on an accompaniment not wedded to the broom-dusting riff employed on many versions of this. It is followed by a frenzied Preachin’ Blues, on which Burnside is on drums and Malcolm adding the acoustic slide. The frenzied character of the performance does a credible job of evoking Johnson’s original which struck me as one of Johnson’s most fervent recordings.


Crossroads Blues, with B.B. King, has an imaginative arrangement owing little to Johnson or Elmore James and Mohr credibly shares the vocal with King as Johnny Lawton’s funky organ helps set the mood. When You Got a Good Friend is another tine with more of a hill country fill that traditional delta-styled blues of Johnson with Foster adding backing vocals and Sumlin some guitar embellishments along with Lightnin’ Malcolm. Kind Hearted Woman is a nice piano-guitar duet between Malcolm on acoustic guitar and pianist Lawton as Foster and Mohr trade lines in the shared vocal. One jarring note is Mohr singing “Mr. Johnson” when he could have personalized it as to Big Todd. Honeyboy Edwards may be the last living link to Robert Johnson, but of those associated with Johnson, he is musically the least able and his weak vocal at the beginning of If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day, is salvaged by Mohr’s strong singing and the driving, rhythmic backing of Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm. Musselwhite contributes moody harmonica behind a smoldering, smokey treatment of Last Fair Deal Gone Down.

After Mohr’s capable solo acoustic rendition of All My Love’s In Vain, the album concludes with a somewhat inept Sweet Home Chicago, by Honeyboy Edwards which does have some nice harmonica by Musselwhite on it to make this track listenable. It perhaps ends this disc on a bum note, which is unfortunate as with this exception on this. 100 Years of Robert Johnson may not be an essential recording, but it certainly is an entertaining release that blues traditionalists like myself and those with a more casual interest in blues, should be able to enjoy.

This review originally appeared in the May 1 - June 15, 2011 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 335). A download of this was provided by a publicist for the release.

Zora Young's Moving Tribute To Sunnyland Slim

Zora Young, one of Chicago’s leading blues ladies, first emerged in the blues scene in the early 1980s, and was mentored by the legendary blues pianist Sunnyland Slim. She was not the only one befriended by the late Albert Luandrew, who helped bring Muddy Waters to the attention of Leonard Chess. In any event, Zora has a new album, with special gust Hubert Sumlin, Sunnyland on Airway, the label started by Sunnyland decades ago.


The album was produced by Sam Burckhardt, the saxophonist who played in Sunnyland’s band for many years as did guitarist Steve Freund while pianist Barrelhouse Chuck Goring was mentored by Sunnyland and Little Brother Montgomery. Hubert Sumlin, one of the Chicago blues’ most compelling guitarist spent time with Sunnyland during Sunnyland’s stints in Howlin’ Wolf’s band. Add to this mix the terrific bass player Bob Stroger and drummer Kenny Smith and one has quite a band with several tracks having added brass. Quite a band for a session recorded at Delmark’s Riverside Studio in July 2007 with some horns added last year.


And it opens with a bang as Zora tears into her original Bad Track Record, belting out the vocal with an authority that grabs the listener as the horns blast in support. Both Freund and Barrelhouse Chuck shine on a rocking rendition of Sunnyland’s Goin’ Back to Memphis, a variation on Rolling & Tumbling, with more forceful singing by Young. The mood gets a bit low-key on Young’s Travelin’ Light, singing about traveling light and not carrying any load being a bluebird that loves to sing, with Sumlin taking an somewhat straightforward solo as Burckhardt riffs on tenor.


Hubert’s Groove is an instrumental that evokes Tramp, with its funky groove as Barrelhouse Chuck gets greasy on organ, with Sumlin, Freund and Burckhardt also taking solos. Young’s Football Widow, is an amusing number with a melody evoking Just a Little Bit, as she wants to get her couch potato man off the coach and out on the town, with Burckhardt ripping off a terrific tenor sax solo followed by a guitar break from Sumlin. You Said You Were Leaving, is one of two Sumlin vocals here and is one of his better one with him singing quite passionately as well as playing his quirky twisting guitar.


The title track, written by Burckhardt is a feature for Barrelhouse Chuck as he suggests Sunnyland’s unique style while Freund takes a particularly choice solo that evokes Sumlin’s playing as well before Burckhardt gets nasty on the tenor, resulting in a terrific instrumental. Sunnyland recorded Johnson Machine Gun, for Aristocrat, and Young belts a vocal that certainly does honor Slim’s memory. While the song is credited to Sunnyland here, it was a reworking of Willie ‘61’ Blackwell’s 1941 Bluebird recording, Machine Gun Blues. Stumbling Blocks and Stepping Stones is another shuffle built upon some traditional blues imagery of a big city country girl far from home dealing with her false friends. Till the Fat Lady Sings, is a topical blues with telling lyrics about the mess in her community and around the world set to a groove evocative of Bobby Rush’s Chicken Heads.


Blues For Hubert is a jazzy sounding instrumental in honor of Sumlin who sits this out. Burckhardt sets the tone with his tenor with both Chuck and Freund getting nice solo space. Zora certainly sounds like no one to mess with on Daughter of a Son-of-a-Gun, a hard rocking number with rollicking piano and a sharp solo from Freund. Sumlin joins Young for a closing down home blues, Looka Here Baby, with Sumlin and Freund providing the accompaniment. It is a change of pace for a welcome surprise release.


Young really shines as a strong singer and the entire recording is first-rate. I would assume better stores will have this, but you could contact www.airwayrecords.com for information on how to order.

This review originally appeared in the May 2009 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 316) although i have made minor changes in paragraphing and some stylistic changes as well. I likely received my review copy from Jazz & Blues Report.

Kirsten Thien's Blues and Soul Infused Pop

Singer- songwriter Kirsten Thien caught the R&B and blues bug while a student at Georgetown University, and after relocating to New York City, found she preferred the thrill of performing in public and abandoned a potentially lucrative career in banking and investment for a creative one in singing and songwriting. She formed a band and issued an album in 2001, then woodshedding on guitar and songwriting, issued a second recording. Now she has issued a third CD, Delicious (Screen Door Records), which has her backed by producer Erik Boyd on bass with the core being her road band of David Patterson (guitar), Johnny Pisano (bass) and Dylan Wissing (drums). Also present are session cats from her 2006 recording, Steve Holley (drums), Tommy Mandel (keyboard and Hammond organ), Kent Smith (trumpet), Andy Snitzer (saxophone) and Mike Freeman (vibraphone). Spice is added by the addition of Arthur Neilson (guitar), Billy Gibson (harmonica) and Hubert Sumlin (guitar) on some of the 11 selections here, eight or which she wrote or collaborated on.

Listening to this CD, I have mixed reactions. Musically there is plenty to like. There is a good mix of blues and blues-infused material and the band is pretty strong. Arthur Neilson is fine as usual and Sumlin lens his distinctive guitar. However, I am ambivalent about Thien as a singer. Not that there is anything forced about her performances. It is that her vocals sound sort of like how Olivia Newton John might have sounded like as a blues-oriented singer. One example is listening to enunciate that her man’s love is ‘delicious’ on the title track. To these ears it is similar to listening to cajun french sung with a Bronx accident. Even on the attractive opening truck, where Neilson and Sumlin trade riffs, “Love That’s Made to Share,” her phrasing is of a pop-oriented vocalist who also imparts plenty of passion in her singing. 

Nobody's Ever Loved Me Like You Do is a lovely rendered soulful ballad. Please Drive, with a nice stop-time groove, benefits from Sumlin’s distinct, quirky guitar as she affects a sultriness in her raspy, whispering styling here. Taxi Love, penned by Charlie Feldman and Jon Tiven, is a soul-infused number about getting it on in a yellow cab followed by the pop-oriented title track with its lyric about “eve came to adam with an apple and tempted him to take a little bite.” Ain’t That the Truth,” is a very attractive soul ballad and love song, followed the driving rendition of Treat ‘im Like a Man, has a pretty interesting lyric about treating her man with respect and as her best her friend as opposed to controlling his every move.

Ida Cox’s Wild Women Don’t Have the Blues, is done as a duet with harmonica Billy Gibbons’ harmonica accompaniment in addition to Thien’s vocal and acoustic guitar. There is a folkiness in the performance, but also the vocal might have benefited if Thien kept her vocal delivery relaxed throughout. A fresh arrangement graces her rendition of Willie Dixon’s I Ain’t Superstitious, and Neilson lays down a hot solo, although her vocal doesn’t sound convincing to these ears. Her ballad A Woman Knows, has an appealing country flavor while Get Out The Funk, Get Into the Groove, is a funk, dance number. The CD concludes with radio edited versions of Taxi Love and Treat ‘im Like a Man.

An attractive sounding recording of blues and blues-soul infused songs that has a definite appeal to it if not compelling as viewed as blues.


I received a review copy from a publicist for this release.

JW-Jones No Longer Prodigy

Canadian blues artist JW-Jones continues to mature as a performer and his latest CD, “Midnight Memphis Sun” (Ruf), certainly will enhance his reputation as it shows his maturation as a vocalist in addition to his continual development as a guitarist. The promise of his earliest recordings, that displayed some awkwardness as a vocalist, was shown to reached fruition in his previous CD, “Blueslisted.” The present CD title refers to the fact this was recorded in Memphis at the Sun Studios. It is a robust collection of blues with jump blues and Memphis soul strains integrally mixed in the material. Jones also has special guests Hubert Sumlin and Charlie Musselwhite, who each lend their talents to three tracks each.


A Memphis soul groove (riff suggestive of “Midnight Hour”) is evident for the opening “Off The Market," which is followed by a jumping rendition of a lesser known Lowell Fulson number, “Love Grows Cold.” Both performances display his solid singing and slashing guitar with echoes of Ike Turner’s use of the whammy bar on the latter. Jones' playing is both thoughtful and passionate. With Musselwhite’s harp added to “Kissin’ in Memphis,” Jones delivers, in a low-key fashion, a lyrical homage to some of the musical greats that painted Memphis blue in the fifties through seventies. The driving ”Cuts Like a Knife,” comes from Bryan Adams. Here Jones sings about how his women threw things away with plenty of strong guitar as well as nice organ from Jesse Whitely. “Born Operator” with Hubert Sumlin, is about a shady character who ran Ponzi scheme and stole other folks dreams. The performance has musical echoes of Magic Sam, evident in Jones playing that contrasts with Sumlin’s sizzling single note work.


Musselwhite returns behind Jones’ easy vocal on Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry’s “Burnt Child.” In contrast, Jones’ rendition of Jimmy Reed’s “I Don’t Go For That,” has rollicking piano and jumping rhythm from Larry Taylor on bass and Richard Innes on drums, and is far removed from Reed’s lazy style. It is a storming Chicago blues stomp with Jones fleet single note solo echoing some of the Memphis greats from the early 50s before Musselwhite’s explosive harp solo showcasing Musselwhite's fat tone. Jones’ “Mean Streak,” mixes his menacing guitar sound with the spare backing from Taylor and Innes to evoke some of the doomy recordings that James Reed and Johnny Fuller recorded for Bay Area blues producer Bob Geddins. Jones may not be quite up to the level of those giants as a singer, but this splendid performance shows how he knows how to build atmosphere in his performances and knows that loud and frantic vocals and playing simply are no replacement for thoughtful, yet passionate performances. “Howlin’ With Hubert” is a nice instrumental shuffle with Jones and Sumlin trade solos. 


Sumlin also guests on the closing track, “Games,” with its driving, churning groove and after Sumlin’s solo, Jones enters, basing his solo on “Got My Mojo Working” and adding some Freddie King riffs here. It is another display of Jones growth from a blues prodigy to a seasoned veteran whose music makes blues fans of all stripes take notice. It is a solid ending to yet another first-rate recording by JW-Jones.




This review first appeared in Issue 329 of Jazz & Blues Report (September 2010), and I have made some stylistic changes for the blog. The review copy was provided by the publicity firm for Ruf Records.