West Side Chicago Blues (DVD), JSP Records, Music & Performance

Of the fascinating and important series of DVDs we have so far released from the Blues Archive productions this one best captures the essence of both person and musician. Jimmy Dawkins was an uncompromising musician with an immediately recognisable guitar style and sound. Offstage he was a serious person. Superficially, it's just another night of a life led on the road. But what set Jimmy apart - and many other bluesmen of his generation - is that they played at the same high level night after night. A gig in a provincial town was no different to a major concert hall. There's much for anyone wanting to play blues guitar, his masterly technique and fingering is clearly caught here. Additionally, Jimmy talks eloquently about his life and the experience of black people of his generation.