Smokin' Blues

These days, the term "Blues" is used to describe many different styles of music that derive from the same basic forms. It has morphed into everything from a solitary singer with a slide guitar, to funky R&B tunes, to screaming electric guitar riffs. There are Chicago Blues, Delta Blues, and even California Blues.

*Elmo Williams and Hezekiah Early* do a great job of capturing the essence of the blues without tying themselves down to a single style. Take a heavy dose of Delta Blues, add the grit of "The Black Keys":http://mog.com/music/The_Black_Keys, invoke the spirit of "Howlin' Wolf":http://mog.com/music/Howlin%2527_Wolf, and you might begin to come close to these guys. Their lush, deep sound is achieved with amazingly few instruments. The only thing I have found that comes close to their sound is "Carlos Guitarlos":http://mog.com/music/Carlos_Guitarlos. Like many blues artists, Williams' guitar work runs circles around most contemporary rock artists. Oh, and Williams is somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 years old.

I've said before that hard rock fans should appreciate the blues because it is so deeply ingrained in the genre; this album is a perfect example of that.