Muddy Woters

If you like hearing '70s British rock stars attempting to jam with one of the originators of the form, then you'll probably like the results from this tepid 1971 session. Only the late Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher seems to be interacting with the old master here (and guitarist Sammy Lawhorn) while Stevie Winwood, Georgie Fame and Mitch Mitchell seem to be totally lost.–by Cub Koda

This tribute album breaks no new ground but does a superb job of re-creating the Chicago ensemble sound, as well as the songs, of the latter-day Muddy Waters Band. That comes as no surprise, since the core group here literally was Muddy Waters' backup unit from 1974 to 1980: Bob Margolin and Luther "Guitar Jr" Johnson on guitars, Pinetop Perkins on piano, Jerry Portnoy on harp, Calvin Jones on bass, and Willie Smith on drums. Each of these Muddy alumni takes a vocal turn (Margolin takes two). While none of them matches the majesty of Muddy's voice, they certainly have the spirit of the thing down pat.

“They always try to write off the blues; well we've proven tonight that at least 9,000 people like the blues,” said celebrated blues rock master Joe Bonamassa who will release his highly anticipated Joe Bonamassa – Muddy Wolf At Red Rocks on DVD, Blu-ray, CD and LP set on March 23, 2015. The exclusive concert experience tributing blues legends Muddy Watersand Howlin' Wolf was filmed at Red Rocks Amphitheater on August 31, 2014. Carved into the bedrock of Colorado's majestic Rocky Mountains, the famed amphitheater sets the stage for Bonamassa's fiery delivery of over 2.5 hours of bluesy guitar wailing and horn-filled tunes honoring the two Blues greats.
• Playing to a sold-out crowd of 9,000 fans, this marks the biggest show of Bonamassa's career, a major milestone for the bluesman. The Blu-ray and DVD contains over 1.5 hours of bonus features including exclusive behind the scenes footage, a photo gallery, historic footage of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and a featurette of Bonamassa and producer Kevin Shirley's trip to The Crossroads.