Various artists
The Songs of Willie Dixon (Telarc)
Next: “The Songs of Cole Porter.” Or, “Jazz Artists Interpret Duke Ellington.” Roughly 7 kazillion singers have recorded songs by Chicago’s greatest blues writer, so why bother again? But surprise: Rather than duplicating the definitive Muddy Waters/Junior Wells/Koko Taylor originals, many of these lesser-known singers and veteran sidemen salute Dixon’s rickety singing style. Kenny Neal lowers his voice to deep and rubbery, drawing personality instead of power from “Bring It On Home”; John Ellison and Christine Ohlman retread “Wang Dang Doodle” with wobbly Tex-Mex rhythm. Even if bland Tab Benoit and overjamming Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson provide long dead spots, other singers bend conventions just enough to justify the concept.
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