Early ’70s return produced by Swamp Dogg at Quinvy

Lightnin’ Slim made his mark as a bluesman in the mid-50s and early 60s with a series of highly regarded releases on Excello. By the time he recorded this 1971 album with Jerry Williams, Jr. (a.k.aSwamp Dogg) at the Quinvy studio in Alabama, he’d been rediscovered after several years away from the music industry. Apparently his foundry work in the late ’60s impacted his hands, as the lead playing and solos are given to Muscle Shoals legend Jesse Carr; but Slim’s voice is still strong, and the rhythm battery, including Muscle Shoals regulars Clayton Ivey (piano) and Bob Wray (bass), is tight. The four-piece horn section plays charts that are often more soul than blues, adding a then-contemporary sound that’s not as timeless as the album’s more stripped-down tracks. The material revisits Slim’s Excello titles “Bad Luck Blues” and “Rooster Blues,” and includes well-selected tunes from Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon and others. Those new to Lightnin’ Slim might want to start with his Excello sides, but those who are already fans (or following Swamp Dogg’s career as a producer and witty liner note writer) should check this out. [©2013 Hyperbolium]