Search - J.B. Hutto :: Keeper of the Flame

Mediocre latter-day effort

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 03/28/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"J.B. Hutto recorded this album for the Austrian Wolf label in 1979 and early 1980, after his 60s peak and before his 80s comeback, which resulted in the excellent "Slideslinger" and "Slippin' And Slidin'" (which has been re-released as "Rock With Me Tonight")."Keeper Of The Flame" is not quite in the same league, however. There are some really good moments here, but overall it doesn't hold up as well as "Hawk Squat" or J.B.'s Masters Of Modern Blues-album.
It's comprised of both live and studio tracks, and the sound is good, significantly better than on Wolf's other live Hutto album, "Hip Shakin'". The studio cuts include a decent but rather nondescript slow blues ("Love Retirement"), a couple of mediocre boogie numbers, and a cover of George Gershwin's "Summertime", which certainly won't be to everybody's liking. But the interplay between Hutto and bassist Bob Case is actually quite funky, and J.B.'s vocal performance is really good.The live numbers pack some more punch, opening with a tough "Dim Lights", and while the seven-minute "Tumbleweed" overstays its welcome, and Hutto's version of "The Sky Is Crying" threatens to stall altogether, the live portion of the album does end on a (relatively) high note with a great rendition of "Baby How Long", and a muscular, if predictable, "No Good Man".This is certainly not a must-have J.B. Hutto-album, and most fans will be satisfied with just "Hawk Squat", "Masters Of Modern Blues", "Slideslinger", and "Rock With Me Tonight". But it's not a total waste of money either, especially not if you're seriously into J.B."