Search - Sly Johnson :: Talkin' About Chicago

In the '70s Syl Johnson was planting the soulful seeds Robert Cray is currently harvesting with his rhythm over blues musical approach. Johnson, best known for the enduring classic "Take Me to the River," was a major hit-maker in the early '70s but disappeared from the scene for a decade or so afterward. He's been in the middle of a solid and successful comeback in the late '90s, and "Talkin' Bout Chicago" builds on the buzz he's already re-created. Johnson's emphasis on rhythm over blues remains in place, but there's no denying his affinity for classic Chicago sounds, especially when he digs into a Magic Sam tribute. But it's his smooth synthesis of soul sensibilities that makes his special hue of blues so unique, and he demonstrates its multiple attractions through a dozen original compositions. His versatile voice swoops and soars as well as getting lowdown and dirty with slow-cooking funk. All of the new material is effective, but the highlight of the disc is his reworking of his often-sampled blast from the past, "Diff'rent Strokes." --Michael Point