This release is from the son of Muddy Waters. Need I say more? You bet! Sometimes, the Bush and Kennedy clan aside, sons do not always gain parallel notoriety with the fathers. In truth it would be completely unfair to compare the two musicians. The patriarch of the blues with a brother in his mid-40’s? Big Bill holds his own just fine, as he earned the prestigious W.C. Handy Award for "Best New Artist", thanks to his debut, "Rising Son".

This disk is a lot of jumping good blues, and boogie-woogie. After the spirited opening first track, "Mellow Chick Swing", Taj Mahal joins Morganfield on track two, "Strong Man Holler". Think deep delta blues in the midst of a late May rain. Down deep, reaching into the last heart vessel, pumping you raw with emotion. Mahal comes back for another song, "You’re Gonna Miss Me".

Let’s go back to the son of the father. Morganfield did not play while Mr. Muddy was alive. It wasn’t until a few years after the death of the Great One, did he pick up the guitar. For six years he self taught himself and began to produce contemporary blues music. He was not happy with the sound and returned to his room to rededicate himself and his efforts to learn traditional blues. What did he do in the meantime? His day job? He had two degrees, a BA from Tuskegee University in English and another one from Auburn University in Communications, and he made a living teaching. He spent hours ripping apart, the reconstructing songs, teaching himself the art of song writing. The evolving product is splendid to the ear!

On the disk, Morganfield writes nine of the fourteen tracks and is joined by Pinetop Perkins on "Dirty Dealin’ Mama". Muddy Waters has been gone nearly twenty years, were he here today, no doubt he’d be proud of his son’s music and his accomplishments. Pick up the disk, ease it into your car’s CD player and take in a deep hit of warm, fresh, spring air. New England we damned well earned it.

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