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Album Reviews

A fiery Chicago blues guitarist whose style mixes together Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, and others with his own musical personality, Jay Gordon has recorded five explosive CDs for the Blue Ace label. Extremely Dangerous Blues is a "best of" set of previously released material put together for the European market. The dozen songs are mostly concise (all but two are under five minutes) and feature some of Gordon's strongest selections, including "Boogie in the Wine," "Lucky 13," "Message to Collins," "Savage Resurrection" (dedicated to Hendrix), and "Voodoo Boogie." Veteran guitarist/singer Phillip Walker makes a welcome guest appearance on "Jaywalkin." Gordon's expressive vocals are excellent (he is quite good on "Can't Shake This Feelin'"), as is the work of his backup bands (electric bassist Russ Greene and either Will Donovan, Rick Lambert, or Butch Azeveda on drums), but it is the leader's intense yet surprisingly versatile guitar playing that is most remarkable. Although these performances are mostly fairly brief, there is no shortage of inventive ideas within the context of rockish Chicago blues, or any loss of passion. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide