The Jimmy Rogers All-Stars - Blues Blues Blues (Atlantic) At last - an album of reworked material that's worth the plastic it's recorded on. Conceived as a tribute to one of the most influential Chicago bluesmen, the project became his memorial when he died just before its completion.
And it proves the perfect commemoration, featuring, among others, some of the biggest names in blues-tinged rock 'n' roll from the 1960s onwards: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and Eric Clapton. That line-up is fitting, given that Rogers' style informed their careers to such an extent that he was indirectly responsible for the sound of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Yardbirds and Cream.
As the man responsible for introducing the electric guitar to the Chicago blues scene, on which he remained active until his death at 73, Rogers drew the blueprints for the sound of all rock music.
Rogers worked with Howlin' Wolf and Sonny Boy Williamson, and was a member of the original Muddy Waters band. So it was appropriate he had the chance to work with the biggest names of a later era too, all of whom were repaying a debt.
What you see on the cover is exactly what you get: straightforward, solid blues, with Richards and Jagger putting in three appearances. But nowhere do the performances of today's superstars eclipse those of a master innovator.