David Honeyboy Edwards

At the age of 84, the great veteran blues player cannot be expected to match the passionate vigour of his amazing prime. Yet even though his voice and guitar picking sound shaky, he still plays with an authority to recreate the music of Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Lightning Hopkins and Roosevelt Sykes as his own. The last third of this CD contains the most convincing music here and producer Jimmy D. Lane does coax Edwards to talk about the legendary Robert Johnson. That interview adds a vivid touch that makes this uneven project truly special. Despite a faltering start that proves slow to deliver, this CD offers a credible and moving impression of a musician who can still perform with class and passion well past his prime.