The Delmark Sessions

's Chicago-based hasn't always reflected his personal tastes, but it has always reflected his philosophy. From the 1950s to the 2000s, has generally believed in supporting indie and indie -- in other words, the sort of and artists who major labels tend to neglect. Although never really cared for -- his personal preferences are and very straight-ahead , , and -- he's been great about documenting Chicago's artists because he sees them as part of the indie music culture. isn't a typical release; isn't , and he isn't a artist per se (although he does provide the occasional gem). Rather, the guitar-playing favors a very bluesy, gritty approach to -- is the sort of CD that would be more typical of or than . And yet, it is faithful to 's history in that it is great indie roots music. has a throaty, hoarse, rough-edged vocal style that recalls early and also underscores his appreciation of icon isn't dominated by the sort of 12-bar offerings that one finds on 's CDs, but is obviously well aware of 's vocal style. He also has a healthy appreciation of early -- and of course, is a term that one will seldom hear in connection with a release. But again, has such a rootsy, bluesy, rugged spirit that he does, in fact, belong on . If is a rare example of 's label putting out a -friendly disc, it is a highly rewarding example. ~ Alex Henderson