Boo Boo Davis hails from Mississippi. His dad played with John Lee Hooker. He wails on a mean harp. All that is true. But those facts don't begin to explain the joy these blues inspire.

Boo Boo Davis Tree Man (Black and Tan)

Davis is in his 70s, and he came to the recording game late (as a frontman, at any rate). This is his tenth album in the last twenty years, and he doesn't sound like he's anywhere near tired. The framework of the songs is basic electric delta blues, but Davis makes them sing with his harp.

That harmonica work is some of the best I've heard in years. Davis can make it sing, and he can make it scream. In his hands, it is simultaneously a rhythm and lead instrument--no mean feat.

If you were to ask 100 people on the street what the blues sounds like, 99 of them would respond with something like this. Davis is taking a well-defined sound to new heights. Let enough of these blues roll over you, and you won't be able to stop smiling. Spectacular.

Jon Worley