Bland

One of the most powerful and distinctive voices in blues and R&B, thanks to his steady stream of classic singles during the '50s and '60s. Bobby Bland earned his enduring blues superstar status the hard way: without a guitar, harmonica, or any other instrument to fall back upon. All Bland had to offer was his magnificent voice, a tremendously powerful instrument in his early heyday, injected with charisma and melisma to spare. Just ask his legion of female fans, who deemed him a sex symbol late into his career.

One of the most powerful and distinctive voices in blues and R&B, thanks to his steady stream of classic singles during the '50s and '60s. Bobby Bland earned his enduring blues superstar status the hard way: without a guitar, harmonica, or any other instrument to fall back upon. All Bland had to offer was his magnificent voice, a tremendously powerful instrument in his early heyday, injected with charisma and melisma to spare. Just ask his legion of female fans, who deemed him a sex symbol late into his career.

Blues You Can Use could have accurately been titled Blues and Soul You Can Use because it offers a generous dose of R&B along with straight-ahead electric blues. But then, that title wouldn't have been as catchy. More important than the title, of course, is the music itself - and Bobby "Blue" Bland is in decent form on this album, which came out when the singer was 56 or 57. To be sure, Blues You Can Use isn't in a class with Bland's classic Duke output of the 1950s and 1960s - and his voice is undeniably thinner than it was in his younger days. But Bland demonstrates that he could still be expressive and charismatic on 12-bar ditties like "I've Got a Problem" and "For the Last Time" as well as laid-back soul numbers such as "Restless Feelin's," "There's No Easy Way to Say Goodbye" and the tear-jerker "Let's Part as Friends"…

When Bobby "Blue" Bland was recording for Malaco in the '80s and '90s, many blues experts asserted that he was past his prime - and they were right. Bland had done his best work for Duke in the '50s and '60s, and his voice wasn't what it once was. But the blues/soul singer was still capable of delivering a worthwhile album, and he still had a loyal fan base. In fact, the singer was a consistent seller for Malaco, which could generally be counted on to give him good or excellent material to work with. Recorded when Bland was in his late fifties, Midnight Run isn't remarkable but is generally decent. The production of Tommy Couch and Wolf Stephenson is rock solid, and Bland is soulful and satisfying on the amusing "Take off Your Shoes," the reggae-influenced title song, and arrangements of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and the Mel & Tim hit "Starting All Over Again."

Although it isn't billed as such, this is a compilation of some of the best tracks from Bland's first two '80s albums for Malaco fleshed out with remakes of some of his most famous late-'50s and early-'60s hits. Of the latter, the standouts are probably "Two Steps From the Blues" and "St. James Infirmary." Bland can't quite hit the high notes the way he once did, but his voice is still attractive and his phrasing is, if anything, even better. The more recent material ranges from "Members Only," with its great retro-60s soul groove, to the straight-ahead blues of "Straight From the Shoulder."

Perhaps no artist has flourished at Malaco more than Bobby "Blue" Bland. Bland's animated, raw voice, though not as wide-ranging, still has a character and quality unmatched in blues, soul or vintage R&B. This CD is his finest for the label since Members Only. The opening number "Somewhere Between Right & Wrong" has a simmering track, Bland's mournful, explosive leads, tasty organ, tight drumming, and on-the-money lyrics from composers Johnny Barranco and Jackson. It sets the stage for nine additional country-tinged and bluesy soul tunes, including three from Frederick Knight, who also produced his compositions. It's not his Duke material, but it's close enough to satisfy.