When you’re blue, you never want to be alone, as these two blues greats show, both bringing in buds and bros to share the heat.
Shirley King at 70 years young has made a name for herself besides “simply” being BB’s daughter. Her own voice ranges from a Mavis Staples churchified to a gritty Carla Thomas with a dash of do-woppy Shirelles thrown in. The fun here is that she changes mood with each guest, going 50s R&B with Robben Ford on “Feeling Good” and giving some pre-Motown soul on “All Of MY Lovin’” with guitarist Joe Louis Walker. With Pat Travers, she growls out a rockabilly of “That’s All Right Mama” and gives a lazy southern swamp to “I Did You Wrong” with the cow calling Elvin Bishop. Ex-Jethro Tull guitar man Martin Barre adds some poignant licks to an earthy take of “Can’t Find My Way Back Home” and Duke Robillard brings out some sanctified grit on with King crowing “Feelin’ Alright?” This one is a foot stomping delight!
Joe Louis Walker, the same tender age of King, rocks the blues in a wide variety of colors with his own collection of indigo’d stars. Detroit Wheel Mitch Ryder brings his Joe Texy vocals to a STAXY “Come Back Joe” , and Albert Lee’s guitar boogies hard on “Seven More Steps”. A trip to the Chitlin’ Circuit has Walker with Jellybean Johnson on a back beating “ Uptown To Harlem” and Waddy Wachtel on Bobby Rush’s funky “Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man’. Carla Cooke shows up a couple of times, once on a Persuasionish gospel “Someday, Someway” along with Lee Oskar’s harp, and on a pretty “Wake Me, Shake Me”. Keb Mo’ takes you to the back porch on his slide guitar on “Old Time Used To Be” and Tele Master Arlen Roth takes Arthur Lee’s “7 & 7 Is” and cuts it up like a Cold Steel knife. Fun on the frets!