Johnny Shines
When his friend the legendary Delta bluesman Robert Johnson died, Johnny Shines decided to visit Africa to see if everything he had heard about it was true. He got sidetracked and ended up in Chicago where his musical career languished for two decades until he was rediscovered in the '60s. This 1970 recording catches Shines at his best as he alternates between traditional Delta-styled acoustic blues numbers and hard-rocking Chicago-flavored tunes. The haunting "My Love Can't Hide," with its baritone sax moaning in background, provides but one highlight.--Percy Keegan