Customer Reviews

Legends

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Howlin' Wolf's lead guitarist Hubert Sumlin teams up with Muddy Waters' piano player Joe Willie Perkins on this warm 1998 album.

Neither of the two old men can match Muddy Waters or the Wolf for sheer vocal power (Pinetop Perkins was 84 at the time this record was made), but Sumlin in particular is a more than adequate singer, and the pair are quite convincing on an energetic "Got My Mojo Working".

Harmonica player Annie Raines is excellent; funky without being too much, and while a superflous rendition of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's "She Walks Right In", sung by Raines and guitarist Doug Wainoris, should have been omitted, the overall quality of this material is quite high. Neither Perkins nor Sumlin have lost their instrumental prowess, and the rhythm section is excellent as well.

Still, this is not a must-have blues record. The original versions of these songs are by far the more memorable, and this album is more cozy than fiery. But "Legends" still provides a nice opportunity to hear two of the greatest sidemen of the "classic" Chicago blues era, and both of them still have quite a lot of spark left in them.

3 1/2 stars. Nice.