Nothing Else Matters

AMG Review of Nothing Else Matters

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

While British blues guitarist Otis Grand's albums have received critical acclaim in Europe, somehow they slipped through the cracks in the U.S. market. Originally released in 1994, Nothing Else Matters was reissued in 2003 as part of the Sanctuary Blues Masters series. On this date, Grand pays tribute to guitar hero T-Bone Walker; Grand's original composition, "5 to 99 Blues," employs Walker's famous riffs and he performs sincere covers of "All Night Long" and "Looking Good" from the Magic Sam catalog. Lending a hand on the disc are Curtis Salgado and Sugar Ray Norcia, who split vocal duties; the House of Blues Horns; and Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, who blows harp and sings on his self-penned track, "Things I Forgot to Do." Nothing Else Matters is an enjoyable modern lues date that's not afraid to celebrate vintage influences.