Blues Singer

by Buddy Guy

Overview

Arriving after the unexpected blast of raw energy that was 2001's Sweet Tea, 2003's Blues Singer could idealistically be seen as the acoustic flip side of that high-voltage, raw electric blues. Like Sweet Tea, Blues Singer is supposed to exist deep down within the Delta blues tradition, only finding Buddy Guy armed with an acoustic guitar and the occasional minimal accompaniment; it's even recorded at the same Mississippi studio that gave its name to the 2001 platter and is helmed by the same producer, Dennis Herring. If only it were that simple! Instead of being an extension or a mirror image of its predecessor, this record is a sleepy comedown from an exhilarating peak. Where Sweet Tea was filled with unpredictable song choices, this plays it safe, hauling out such familiar items as "Hard Time Killing Floor," "Crawlin' Kingsnake," "I Love the Life I Live," and "Sally Mae." And while this retains Jimbo Mathus on guitar, when other musicians pop up, it's not the lively Fat Possum crew, it's studio pros like Jim Keltner, or guest shots by superstars Eric Clapton and B.B. King. While this does afford listeners the rare opportunity to hear B.B. on acoustic, it gives the affair the audience-pleasing veneer that weighed down his mid-'90s efforts. Plus, when it comes right down to it, Guy simply is off on this record, with lazy, mannered vocals and by the book guitar. Despite a few good acoustic duet sessions with Junior Wells, acoustic blues is not really Guy's forte, and the highly disappointing Blues Singer illustrates exactly why. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/11/2017
Label:	Music On Vinyl
UPC:	8719262003750
Rank:	66856

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Buddy Guy   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Jim Keltner   Guest Artist,Drums
B.B. King   Featured Artist,Guest Artist,Guitar
Eric Clapton   Guest Artist,Featured Artist,Guitar
The Perrys   Snaps,Handclapping
Tony Garnier   Bass (Upright)
Jimbo "Hambone" Mathus   Guitar,Slide Guitar

Technical Credits

Ed Cherney   Engineer,Mixing
Skip James   Composer
Andrew Hogg   Composer
Bernard Besman   Composer
Clay Jones   Photography
Jack Owens   Composer
Frankie Lee Sims   Composer
Elmore James   Composer
Doug Sax   Mastering
Dennis Herring   Producer
Johnny Shines   Composer
Jon Langford   Illustrations
Marshall Sehorn   Composer
Son House   Composer
Jacquire King   Engineer
John Lee Hooker   Composer
Lightnin' Hopkins   Composer
Robert Hadley   Mastering
Andy Hunt   Engineer
Willie Dixon   Composer
Nick Gamma   Design,Art Direction
Dawn Palladino   Engineer
Willie Borum   Composer
Robert McCullom   Composer
Colby Devereux   Engineer