Buddy Guy - Bring 'Em in - Music & Performance - CD

Bring 'Em In, the latest release by blues legend Buddy Guy opens with his guitar wailin' and moaning. His voice is as plaintive full of soul on Curtis Mayfield's "Now You're Gone" as his fingers. This is a seasoned bluesman at the peak of his powers, and they are formidable. Buddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year. Now he's been full wrapped in the mantle of the blues, and he wears it well. A little recognition by the greater listening public hasn't hurt either. Silvertone records seems dedicated to providing as many crossover opportunities for Guy as possible. The concept behind Bring 'Em In is the duets format, and it works for the most part.

Keith Richards is a dedicated bluesman with a world-weary viewpoint himself. In a collection of blues standards, Keb' Mo's original composition, "The Price You Gotta Pay" stands out. He writes in the tradition with ease and fluidity. Keith joins Buddy on this cut and just lays back grooves. This is teamwork from a team that works on every level. Another successful collaboration is the one with Tracy Chapman. Guy's rich and slightly tortured falsetto is a fitting foil for Chapman's voice. Together they offer a rendition of the Bill Wither's classic "Ain't No Sunshine" that was born in the blues. Mo plays guitar on this cut, and gets the character just right. There's a very tasty horn chart on this cut, too. The vocalists build the vamps with a driving energy. The power in Guy's voice is more present than it was on several of his more recent records.

The opening cuts are all Buddy. On his original track, "What Kind Of Woman Is This?," he channels the true spirit of sawdust floors and the kind of jukebox that you need to kick to get goin'. As Buddy approaches 70, he doesn't seem to have lost anything that matters. Like a Packard in the desert, he's cruisin' west on an open blacktop with 12 cylinders pumping. You're invited to climb into the back seat, ease back into the leather, and just groove. On this collection his engine delivers more raw power than it has in years.

John Mayer seems to be appearing on everybody's dance card this fall. He joins Guy on the Otis classic, "I've Got Dreams To Remember." Mayer is a wonderfully relaxed and easy singer, but the raw energy of Guy overpowers him. This could be intentional and the contrast is striking at several points. Anthony Hamilton and Robert Randolf are equally mellow. Santana contributes a little more punch on "I Put A Spell On You." Carlos is the master of the all-star duet, and he comes through here on what may be the first single.

Unlike the proverbial Lefty of song, Buddy Guy "can sing the blues all night long like he used to." This record is a bluesman's holiday, and it works.

By Dave Morgan