One Eye Open

The started out Southern, rural, and acoustic but ended up becoming Northern, urban, and electric -- and things went full circle when bluesmen on the Southern chitlin' circuit became influenced by the music that was coming from in Detroit and in Chicago. But Windy City residents haven't forgotten the ' Southern heritage, which is why harmonica player has been calling his Chicago-based / band . Don't let the name fool you; 's respect for Mississippi's contributions to the doesn't erase the fact that what transpires on this live CD is mostly (with some occasional detours into ). has had its share of lineup changes since formed the band in 1992; on (which was recorded at in Chicago on July 18, 2005), the participants include, among others, guitarist/singer and singer (a gutsy, big-voiced belter along the lines of , , and , as usual, is on harmonica -- and he has his share of inspired moments on the albums' vocal offerings as well as instrumentals that include the invigorating and the (which takes out of and places firmly in the , meanwhile, makes the sparks fly whether she is performing straight-up or making some detours on 's and (a original that might have been a hit if had been around in the mid-'60s). Although nothing groundbreaking occurs, is an enjoyable document of 's band on-stage during the summer of 2005. ~ Alex Henderson