The blues are in the ears of the beholder. There has always been a blurry line between the blues and rock and roll (or if you're Robert Cray, blurred lines between the blues, rock and soul). And that's okay. Because old rock and roll was just another facet of the blues. Some of the earliest songs we now call rock and roll were called "jump blues" in the wayback.

Ron Addison Testify (self-released)

Ron Addison gets this. He prefers to sample from the entire blues buffet, doing a little boogie here, a little down and dirty guitar wailing there. His backing band is outstanding, fleshing out these songs with style. And while Addison has a strong voice with a bit of rasp, the focus on this album should be on the songs.

Addison does a fine job wandering through the blues and music inspired by the blues. His songs aren't revolutionary, but they sure do hit the spot. He does know how to connect the dots, and the sprightly playing and production keeps this album on its toes.

Back when there was such a thing, Addison might be fronting a bar band. Versatility is the key--the roadhouse sequence in The Blues Brothers is something of a nod to this--and Addison and his band roll through styles and feels with ease. This is rail bourbon that's cheap enough to have a few, but good enough to enjoy with relish. Can't argue with that.

Jon Worley