The Blues Project Anthology
The very things that made the Blues Project one of the most phenomenal bands of the '60s are the same things that made the band a short-lived one. Drawing on a crazy quilt of influences--including folk, pop, jazz, psychedelia, and, yes, blues--the band was known to perform scorching versions of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf classics one minute, then turn around and do mellow contemporary tunes by the likes of Donovan and Patrick Sky the next. A band whose onstage energy was boundless, their studio work didn't always come across quite as well, and sharply divided attitudes about approach and repertoire (plus assorted personal problems) eventually sundered the band.Anthologyis the best available sampling of the group's oeuvre, collecting material from their albums on Verve and Capitol and tossing in some rare singles, solo material, and previously unreleased tracks for good measure. You don't often hear the Blues Project mentioned in reverent tones, as are other, similar acts of the era, and that's too bad. This set makes a case for their veneration.--Daniel Durchholz