Mississippi bluesman James Isaac Moore made the bulk of his recordings at JD Miller's Crowley, Louisiana studio, accounting for the deep, swampy sound and creeping rhythms of his hit singles. Another important influence on the Stones, Harpo's debut 1957 single "I'm A King Bee's" compulsive, chicken-scratch guitar motif became an essential part of their early sound. Although Ace have released a comprehensive series covering Slim's years with the Excello label, this Best Of draws together all the classic singles: "Baby Scratch My Back", "I Got Love If You Want It", "Rainin' In My Heart" (Louisiana pop of the highest order) and "Shake Your Hips" (rolling along with train-chugging intensity, rattling-sticks providing its percussion track). By 1967, he was recording in Nashville, producing even more light-footed material like "Te-Ni-Nee- Ni-Nu" and "Tip On In" ("let me see those fishnet hose", he drawls. ). Harpo had it all: a bittersweet soul moan of a voice, a squealing, wounded-hound harmonica sound and a feel for mixing genres that found him picking from country, rock 'n' roll and soul, perfectly placed to be one of the funkiest, most danceable blues performers so far in the music's history. Who knows how much more he would have contributed if not for his sudden early death from a heart attack in 1970. -Martin Longley Slim Harpo recorded really good rhythm and blues. He never got too fancy; he never forgot the importance of the groove. He died young in 1970, but his music reached the Rolling Stones (who covered his "I'm a King Bee"), the Kinks (who sang his "I Got Love If You Want It"), Van Morrison, and Them (whose first single was Harpo's "Don't Start Crying Now"). [+]

The latest in a series of highly polished albums of good-natured boogie, blues and singer/songwriter fare, Bonnie Raitt's Silver Lining will not disappoint the initiated. Recorded with her highly seasoned road band and co-produced (again) by the ubiquitous Mitchell Froom and Tchad Blake, this is a high-quality product. The question, as always, is whether the material raises it to the level of extraordinary. Raitt picks songs shrewdly; here, the unearthed gems are David Gray's title song and the closing ballad, "Wounded Heart", by Jude Johnson. Less successful and more familiar are the songs co-written with her bandmates. Instrumentally, the highlights include Bonnie's slide duel with Roy Rogers on "Gnawin' It" and Andy Abad's highlife guitar chops on Oliver Mtukudzi's "Hear Me Lord". Jon Cleary's barrelhouse keys throughout owe a debt to Billy Payne of Little Feat. One may occasionally wish the producers had been allowed more rein to pepper the arrangements with their trademark quirky instrumentation, but the record rewards repeated listens. -Rob Stewart.

Eric Clapton and B. B. King first recorded together for one track on King's 1997 album Deuces Wild, an experience so satisfying that they decided they'd better do it again. Before long, Clapton announced on US television that one of his remaining ambitions was to make an entire album with King. Roping in producer Simon Climie, who had been such an integral part of Clapton's hugely successful Pilgrim album, the pair hunkered down in Los Angeles and set to work rejuvenating and re-interpreting a bunch of King's classics including "Ten Long Years", "Three O'Clock Blues", "Help The Poor" and "Days Of Old". They also take on a bunch of other goodies including a slow, bluesey reading of Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming" and, appropriately enough, a witty take on John Hiatt's "Riding With The King". They reach back to 1946 for the Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen standard "Come Rain Or Come Shine", and even dip into the 1930s to resurrect Big Bill Broonzy's "Keys To The Highway", where their trading of tasty acoustic licks is a particular joy. Throughout Riding With The King, Climie has kept the production admirably simple, with King's voice and guitar in one stereo channel while Clapton's is in the other, helping create a vital intimacy, as if they're playing across a small room to each other. -Johnny Black.