The Blues Sessions

Album Review

Tim Woods has been languishing in relative obscurity in the blues realm, but this recording should change all of that. During the course of his career, he has built a strong résumé playing with big names, and it's assumable most of them were recruited for these studio sessions, done in Chicago, Atlanta, Savannah, and Clarksdale, MS. Each track features at least one or more heavyweights, supporting but not dominating the rough-edged, untamed voice, and pithy, slightly dirty guitar of Woods. There are traditional numbers, familiar songs from Willie Dixon, a few from David "Honeyboy" Edwards, who appears with Woods, classic urban Chicago blues, and an original. Edwards in particular is a force on this project, singing his heart out on "Drop Down Mama" with Woods and harmonicist Eric Noden, or slow and sure for two other tracks. Classic blues tunes like "Spoonful," "Built for Comfort," and "It Don't Make Sense," penned by Dixon, are lovingly re-crafted, but also Howlin' Wolf's "Who's Been Talkin'" with Woods, keyboardist Allen Batts, Big Jack Johnson, and Terry "Big T" Williams is the ultimate jam for these standout figures. John Primer and Bob Stroger play prominent roles elsewhere, especially on yet another Dixon evergreen, "Do the Do." Every track is precious, every measure full of fun, as Woods shapes these immortal icons of blues into a unified whole that is much greater than the sum of their parts, inspired and loaded with integrity. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi