Rating: - An Old Gem--still shining with brilliance
This CD was originally released on vinyl by Black and Blue in late 70s and was recorded in France. Featuring Hammond Organ (Milt Buckner), drums (Panama Francis) and Roy on guitar and vocals, this is a very satisfying blues album. There is incredible spaciousness to the sonics and the tone of the guitar is crystal clear. The playing is as good as it gets. I love the slow blues tunes Stormy Monday and Once I was a Gambler (9 minutes of burning groove). On a couple of tracks a trombone is featured. This is a much neglected instrument to showcase blues soloing. You will appreciate how good it can make you feel when you listen to these tracks.

Blues fans understand, know and love those familiar progressions and notes which comprise the blues, and take it from me there are numerous musical highlights scattered throughout this fine CD. Roy's guitar playing is reminiscent of two of his idols--T-Bone and Lightnin-- from whom the two aforementioned slow blues tunes have been borrowed. Milt Buckner's hammond organ is used to bring up the bottom end and his jazzy fills and bass pedal playing is wonderful. What can I say about the great Panama Francis? His playing is so sophisticated and unobtrusive that you don't realize the importance of his contribution to the sound till you have played the album several times.

This is a great guitar and organ album, and must be included in any serious fan's collection. The five stars are for the simple fact that I cannot think of anything negative to say about the music and the performances on this album. There is variety to the tempo and the grooves. There is a good mix of instrumental and vocal tracks. All the players get generous soloing time. The playing is fresh and with a total commitment to the blues idiom. As a final note, fans should know that my observations are based on the vinyl version, which lacks the alternate takes of the some of the tracks included on the cd.

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