The best contemporary Shaw offering, cut in his old Mississippi stomping grounds with his trusty combo, the Wolf Gang. Lots of lyrically unusual originals - "Dunkin' Donut Woman," "Wine Head Hole," and "She Didn't Tell Me Everything," for starters - and Shaw's usual diamond-hard horn lines and commanding vocals make this a standout selection.

Howlin' Wolf may be gone, but his spirit lives on, as this 13-track tribute album featuring members of the Wolf's own band attests. Sam Lay, Eddie Shaw, Hubert Sumlin, and the rest are as tight and smooth as they ever were playing behind Howlin' Wolf, and they've got an array of guest stars to do the Wolf proud. Taj Mahal (sounding a good bit like Wolf himself) is here, as are guitar-slinger Debbie Davies and multi-instrumentalist Kenny Neal. Lucinda Williams does a bluesy turn, and there are contributions from Lucky Peterson, James Cotton, and more. The CD features plenty of Wolf favorites, including "Saddle My Pony," "Howlin' for My Darling," "The Red Rooster," "Howlin' Wolf Boogie," and "Smokestack Lightnin'," among others. All in all, it's a fitting tribute to a man whose contribution to the blues is immeasurable.

"The Blues is good News" is the title track on this CD. The first from three CD's from Eddie Shaw & his band The Wolf Gang. He was Wolf's bandleader in his last years and one of the best saxophone players from the Westside! He also plays harp on this session and his son Vaan and John Primer are on guitars.

Recorded 1996. This is Eddie's third CD for Wolf Records. His band includes Vaan Shaw and Johnny B. Moore on guitars, Shorty Gilbert on bass and Tim Taylor on drums. The highlights are "Built for Comfort" by Howling Wolf and "Goin' Back to Greenville". Eddie is one of the best - he sings and plays saxophone & harp!