Bluestime
Jay Geils was often the forgotten man in the band that bore his name. Though Geils was a fine blues rock guitarist, it was Peter Wolf's vocals and Magic Dick's harmonica solos that made the J. Geils Band a legendary live act in the '70s, and it was the songs written by Wolf and keyboardist Seth Justman that gave the band its pop breakthrough in the early '80s. Geils's grasp of the rhythmic requirements of the Chicago blues provided the foundation for everything the band did, however, and it provides the solid basis for this likable album with Magic Dick.The J. Geils Band began in 1966 as a trio (Geils, Dick, and bassist Danny Klein) exploring the music of the Chicago blues giants. Now Geils and Dick are doing it again--nine of the 13 tracks on the new album are credited to Muddy Waters, Little Walter or Sonny Boy Williamson--only this time they have the maturity to let the material breathe. Instead of cramming every possible note into each song, these older, wiser musicians have pared down their arrangements to the essential notes. This allows Geils's swinging, jazz-inflected guitar solos to unfurl with natural ease and for Dick to more fully harmonize his solos.Dick proves a competent lead singer, but he lacks the special edge of a Wolf, much less a Waters. As a result, the instrumental performances are the best part ofBluestime.--Geoffrey Himes