VA - Muddy Waters 100 (2015)

This official and authorized centennial tribute to Muddy Waters is a once-in-a-lifetime CD event that celebrates, commemorates and contributes the musical legacy of this American icon. With 15 newly-recorded songs, Muddy Waters 100 features Muddy Waters Band alumni and many of today s most preeminent American blues and roots artists, including Gary Clark Jr., Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton, Bob Margolin, Keb Mo, John Primer, Derek Trucks, Johnny Winter, and others… The CD is contained in a collectible CD-sized hard-cover book with 48 pages illustrated with black and white photography by some of the greatest photographers of Muddy's time: Don Bronstein, Ray Flerlage, Paul Natkin, Marc Pokempner, Art Shay and D. Shigley, among others. Also included is an original essay by Robert Gordon, Grammy-winning author of the definitive Muddy Waters biography "Can't Be Satisfied - The Life and Times of Muddy Waters".

This year is the centenary of bluesman/bandleader Muddy Waters’ birth and we have already had one tribute CD from his son Mud Morganfield together with Kim Wilson. That CD was very traditional, whereas this tribute puts a slightly more modern spin on Muddy’s songs and involves a larger cast of guest artists including Shemekia Copeland, James Cotton, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny Winter, Keb Mo', Billy Branch and Derek Trucks. The band is led by two ex-Muddy Waters’ sidemen, guitarists John Primer and Bob Margolin, with Primer also handling some of the vocals, as on the opener Muddy’s theme song “Got my Mojo Workin’” where he shares the singing with Shemekia.

I always loved the Waters band’s ensemble playing and these guys certainly do a great job in playing Muddy’s songs without actually trying to replicate that 50/60s sound. When Muddy released “Can’t Get no Grinding” in the 70s it featured electric piano which at the time I thought wasn’t traditional but it shows Muddy was keeping up with the times and I’m sure he would have approved of these updates to his sound. There is variety here as well - "Rosalie" goes back to the country blues of the Son Sims Four with Steve Gibbons on fiddle and Billy Flynn on mandolin and "Why Don't You Live So God can Use You" is a rare example of a Muddy Waters gospel song from the same era and features Leanne Faine on vocals.

Elsewhere its great Chicago blues with soaring harmonica from Cotton, Branch and Vincent Bucher, I particularly liked Billy Branch’s rocked up versions of “Trouble no More” and “Can’t Get no Grinding” and also “She Moves Me” with its blistering harp from Matthew Skoller and great Muddy-style slide guitar. More great slide on “Still a Fool” from Derek Trucks and on “I’m Ready” instead of the original chromatic harp we get the late Johnny Winter’s distinctive slide guitar. I also really liked Keb Mo’s “Last Time I Fool Around With You” which had more nice slide and also great piano from Johnny Iguana. I really enjoyed this tribute which I thought honoured the legend of Muddy Waters, featured some great playing and although it put a slightly modern spin on some of the songs didn’t stray too far from Muddy’s original template.

Tracklist:

01. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Shemekia Copeland) - Got My Mojo Working (04:12)
02. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Derek Trucks) - Still a Fool (03:51)
03. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Bob Margolin) - I Be's Troubled (03:27)
04. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Johnny Winter) - I'm Ready (03:08)
05. Muddy Waters 100 - Mannish Boy (04:40)
06. Muddy Waters 100 - Rosalie (03:15)
07. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Leanne Faine) - Why Don't You Live So God Can Use You (03:25)
08. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring James Cotton) - Good News (03:26)
09. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Billy Branch) - Trouble No More (02:56)
10. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Matthew Skoller) - She Moves Me (04:38)
11. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Billy Branch) - Can't Get No Grindin' (03:03)
12. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Gary Clark Jr) - Forty Days and Forty Nights (03:49)
13. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring Keb' Mo') - Last Time I Fool Around With You (03:18)
14. Muddy Waters 100 (Featuring James Cotton) - I Feel So Good (03:12)
15. Muddy Waters 100 - Feel Like Going Home (03:04)