SRV
This career-spanning box of three CDs and a DVD celebrates a legacy that looms larger than that of any blues-rocking guitarist sinceJimi Hendrix.  Despite fears that a series of posthumous releases had depleted the Stevie Ray Vaughan vaults, previously unreleased gems dominate the selection. Highlights extend from Vaughan's swaggering apprenticeship with Paul Ray and the Cobras to slash-and-burn concert performances from the final month of his life. There are obligatory dips into the songbooks of Hendrix andBuddy Guy, appearances onMTV UnpluggedandAustin City Limits, and instrumental interplay with brotherJimmie Vaughanand tourmateJeff Beck. Though his guitar never loses its flamethrower intensity, the set documents his progression from the showoff licks of the young "Stevie Rave On" into a fully rounded artistry of soulful depth.--Don McLeese