Pure Blues
A good introduction to modern guitar-based blues,Pure Bluesfeatures classics byMuddy Waters, Freddy King,Bobby Bland, andJohn Lee Hooker, along with recent blues stars likeStevie Ray Vaughanand his followersKenny Wayne ShepherdandJonny Lang. While attributing classic status toSusan Tedeschi's "Just Won't Burn" may chafe some purists, this comp clearly wasn't intended for the die-hard blues fanatic. But as an introduction, it illustrates the blues tradition and its influence on rock (and rock's influence on the blues) quite nicely. For fans of theAllman Brothers(whose version ofBlind Willie McTell's classic "Statesboro Blues" is included) orEric Clapton's work withDerek & the Dominosor for dad at Christmas, this would make a good gift. Also, if this manages to inspire anyone to pick upEtta James's classicTell Mamaset, the folks at UTV will have done the world a service.--Mike Johnson