Clue Splitter

Fair Ground is the culmination of years of friendship between Pete Lesperance and Mike Turner, two Canadian guitarists, who have sold millions world-wide in their respective projects Harem Scarem and Our Lady Peace. What began as a simple guest appearance on Pete's solo record turned into a desire to fully collaborate on what was to become Fair Ground's debut Down In It.

When your father was the late Chicago blues and Chess Records icon Jimmy Rogers (not to be confused with pioneering country singer Jimmie Rodgers), some would argue that you have a hell of a lot to live up to. But the question "How does Jimmy D. Lane compare to Jimmy Rogers?" is both unrealistic and unfair – it would be like expecting Ravi Coltrane to accomplish what John Coltrane accomplished, or expecting Hank Williams, Jr. to be another Hank Williams, Sr. Besides, Lane is a fine Chicago bluesman in his own right. With Rogers making a guest appearance on "One Room Country Shack" and Muddy Waters' "Another Mule Kicking in Your Stall," listeners get to hear father and son playing alongside one another. Rogers, who died on December 19, 1997, had only two months to live when this historically important album was made. But Legacy is not only noteworthy because it contains the last recording of Rogers; it's also noteworthy because of the rich singing and expressive guitar playing that Lane brings to Memphis Slim's "Four O'Clock in the Morning" and Howlin' Wolf's "Big House," as well as heartfelt originals like "In This Bed," "Clue Me," and "Pride." Lane is someone who really understands the blues, and that fact is impossible to miss on this excellent date.

A Different Light is a look back at the career of Art of Noise member and soundtrack composer Anne Dudley. Although the album features songs from her most successful compositions, Dudley reworks them to create new pieces for her second solo album.