Louisiana Red
Live in Montreux
Labor Records ([email protected])

The blues is usually a highly personalized style of music, but Louisiana Red does little to distinguish himself. This is a disappointing fact by itself, but it is even more so on a live album. Muddy Waters can be discerned from John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson, but Louisiana Red sounds exactly like a mix of these three plus many other country-blues veterans. The songs of Kent Cooper, the author or co-author of 9 out of 11 tracks, are constructed in a traditional 12 bar blues style and never verge off that path. The lyrics are weak and do not fit in with the simple melodic patterns that Cooper has chosen for them.

The only highlight of the album is the opening track, Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me." Red's guitar playing is excellent and his vocals are strong; this along with the good song writing creates an excellent performance. If only there were more of those songs. - Scott Atkinson