Lynwood Slim

Soul Feet (Atomic Theory)

Fans of rocking, boogie-woogie R&B of the late '40s and early '50s--the stuff that Elvis lifted note for note-and-called rock 'n' roll--will absolutely flip their wigs over this ump blues CD that features a full horn section, a rockin' piano player named Leonard "baby doo" Caston (who, it is rumored, was the very man who taught Willie Dixon how to play the bass!), Jimmy Reed's former guitarist James Smith, and Lynwood Slim's kinetically charged harmonica playing. On this 15-song set mostly recorded in sessions dating back to 1984, Slim proved that he learned his trade well, studying under Walter Horton and Charlie Musselwhite, touring with James Cotton, Roy Buchanan, and Bo Diddley. Lyingundiscovered in the studio for more than a decade, these tracks aged well, and like a vintage wine, they sound fresh and fun...especially the Caston stride solo instrumental, "Doo's Groove." The ensemble is at its best when pulling out the stops for thunderingly fast numbers like the title track, where everyone trades solos atop a tight backing rhythm section. And that's not to say Slim's singing isn't good, either--for a guy who wasn't around during the heyday of R&B, he's got an awful lot of rhythm, soul, and personality to apply to these great tunes. --Don Fluckinger