Kid Ramos
His hot guitar licks have powered an assortment of no-nonsense rocking blues units, including theFabulous Thunderbirdsand theJames Harman Band, and now West Coast stalwart Kid Ramos steps into the solo spotlight. He does so in fine fashion, and with more than a little help from his friends and employers, in an entertainingly eclectic showcase of his wide-ranging abilities. Both Harman and T-Birds frontmanKim Wilson, as well asLos Lobos'Cesar Rosas, are among the half-dozen vocalists who join in the festivities--but it's Ramos's wonderfully diverse guitar work that carries the show. The jukebox assortment of styles Ramos runs through includes everything from the sizzlingAlbert Collins-style instrumental "Cold Chicken and Beer" to the countrified acoustic "Walk-Around Telephone Blues," with a sizeable helping of horn-powered R&B; for good measure. --Michael Point