Search - James Cotton :: Take Me Back

All Star sidemen and vintage Cotton make this a must have

Bob Condon | Chicago, IL United States | 05/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Totally ignore the "guide to Blues cd's" review of this cd. They are probably bigger fans of J. Lo than any authority on Blues. At least as far as this disc is concerned. This is not Cotton at his very best, but he is not laying down either. My personal fave of his is "Live at Antones". What makes this disc a must have is his choice of sidemen. This is a who's who of Chicago blues greats, most of whom are, like Cotton, former Muddy Water's alumni. On piano is the superlative Pinetop Perkins. On guitars, a rare appearance on disc by my favorite of Muddy's guitarists, Sammy Lawhorn. His "thunder" sounds on the version of Cloud's in my Heart make this disc worth 10 times the price alone. His untouchable vibrato is joined by John Primer who has become one of the top traditional blues artists in his own right. Cotton's take on "Take out some Insurance" is another masterpiece. His version of Otis Spann's Country girl is both heartfelt and hilarious. Another veteran, Sam Lay is on drums. This is an all star jam that is not to be missed."

Forget so-called Blues Guide...

Miss Harlem | New York | 01/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Who are those people? They know nothing! Listen to Bob Condone! This album is among the best ever released by the James Cotton band! This is well-spent money, and as a bonus there's this one song... Hungry Country Girl... lancinating guitar, great singing, and listen to the lyrics, you won't regret it!"