Hubert Sumlin was listed as #43 in the Rolling Stone 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Sumlin is best known for his "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions" as a member of Howlin' Wolf's band. On "I Know You", the Chicago Blues legend, surrounded by old friends such a fellow Wolf bandmate Sam Lay on drums and the great Carey Bell on harmonica, Hubert felt free to create in an intimate setting that captured the spirit of the great Chess recordings from the '50's.

This ballsy album by Michael Hill has as much 'rock' in its roll as it has the blues. At the time, it was a lonely but prescient insight into the world to come. The fiery guitarist and provocative songwriter has a singular formula: intense social commentary combined with expression of love for beautiful women and for New York. Included are a couple of forthright songs criticising America's war in Iraq and George Bush in particular. Hill continues to produce blues for our times on this album. And the album's celebration of the mighty Hubert Sumlin has one unique extra: Mr Hubert Sumlin himself.

Hubert Sumlin was a brilliant guitarist who was a Howlin' Wolf sideman and a vast influence on Eric Clapton and Peter Green amongst others. This killer album started with a five-week tour of Europe with these musicians before they hit the UK. There was a lot of songwriting in hotel rooms which paid off handsomely. Here are 5 brand new songs from Hubert, a couple of well thought-out instrumentals and Hubert playing his usual imaginative lead guitar on 3 new songs by Richard Studholme. Musically, it's all tough blues but within that there is tremendous variation ranging from some nice modern touches to a couple of Jimmy Reedish tracks with just two guitars and drums. Altogether a superb team effort and a real revelation.

Growing up in the shadow of his father, the great Jimmy Rogers, co-creator of the Muddy Waters sound, architect of the two-guitar heart of the postwar Chicago blues band, was a daunting experience for Jimmy D. Lane. But it's also a fondly remembered one. Actually he was daunted by a whole gang of big shadows as he came of age. Regular visitors to the Rogers home included a Who's Who of that '50s and '60s golden era of Chicago blues. With "Legacy", his second album for APO Records, Jimmy D. Lane proves that he is as compelling looking back towards the great blues masters of the past as he is at crossing stylistic lines and pushing the music forward.