This album is a bit of a turnabout for Boo Boo Davis as he moves away from the remarkable fusion approach to the blues shown in his last album "Drew Mississippi" and heads back to his roots. Keeping it simple and straightforward is the key here as he uses nothing more than his road band of Jan Mittendorp on guitar and John Gerritse on drums to recreate the early electric blues sound of Chicago of the fifties and then onwards to the current day.
It's a successful venture as well with songs like "I'm Coming Home" and "Tryin' To Get Ahead" taking us back to the days of late night blues club. You just can't argue with the authentic feel of it all. This isn't a parody or a tribute either. There's the history of the blues in here. When blues merged into rock in the late sixties and early seventies, a song like "Why You Wanna Do It" would have been right on the money and "Hot Foot" takes us directly into funk territory. Clearly not one to rest on his laurels, Boo Boo Davis and his very able assistants deliver the kind of performance that will make many into believers in the power of the blues.
We might have said this before - in fact we have - but Boo Boo Davis is the real deal. If he comes to your town then go see him play live. They just don't make them like that anymore.
The album is available by mail order from the Black & Tan website.