All-Star Blues Jam
This meeting ofMuddy WatersBand alumni thrives on subtle turns of virtuosity. Session leader Margolin proves how beautifully he can approximate Waters’s soul-probing, staccato slide guitar as he adds its whinnying tone toPinetop Perkins’s barrelhouse piano and voice on "Sweet (Little) Black Angel." Harp legendCarey Bellputs a sharp edge on "One Day You’re Gonna Get Lucky," spitting out lyrics and letting his harp rock the melody. And drummerWillie "Big Eyes" Smithincites theElmore James-inspired shuffle "Always on My Mind," shouting and pounding out its heartbreak as Margolin slides again. "Last Time" is a rare acoustic showcase for guitaristHubert Sumlin. And there’s room for newcomers, too.Jimmy D. Lanepicks slow and easy like his dad, the lateJimmy Rogers, on "Mean Old Chicago," and Margolin’s bassist Mookie Brill comes off as an MVP, offering laid-back propulsion throughout and singing his campy original "My New Baby Owns a Whiskey Store." Together they all raise the spirit of great early Chicago blues so effectively that, if not for its excellent sound, this album could have been cut in the late 1950s.--Ted Drozdowski