Elvin Bishop Source: Blues Revue Date: 08/2008 Writer: Michael Verity

"The Blues Rolls On"

Among the performers at this summer’s Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon, Elvin Bishop’s hourlong set on the main stage stood head and shoulders — and slide guitar — above the rest. There was nothing innovative about it. He simply played a tight, steamy set of down-and-dirty blues-inflected rock. Bishop’s star-studded new album, The Blues Rolls On, is in a similar vein: There’s nothing earth-shattering about it, just Bishop and his friends playing music together.

For the most part, this approach works. The title cut stomps along mightily, benefiting from great harp work by Kim Wilson and nice guitar interplay between Bishop and Warren Haynes. Haynes returns for a spirited revival of Bishop’s hit “Struttin’ My Stuff,” the two axemen teaming with Derek Trucks for a sweet, funky triple-threat guitar groove. Bishop turns over the vocal mike to John Németh on “Night Time Is the Right Time” and “I Found Out,” but it’s Németh’s rendering of Smokey Robinson’s “Who’s the Fool” that takes the cake. The up-and-coming blues vocalist imbues the song’s “you done me wrong” lyrics with a fresh dose of energy. Speaking of new energy, it can’t get much fresher than the Homemade Jamz Blues Band, the sibling trio of 9-year-old drummer Taya, 14-year-old bassist Kyle, and 16-year-old guitarist Ryan Perry, who support Bishop on “Come On in This House.” The youngsters’ wit and maturity are remarkable.
           
There are moments on the album that don’t work: Bishop’s contrived “interview” with B.B. King (apparently recorded in separate studios); his take on Clifton Chenier’s “Black Gal,” which simply falls flat; his throwaway jam with George Thorogood, which goes nowhere. But these are minor bumps in the road. If you’re looking for a solid set from an experienced guitar slinger, The Blues Rolls On is worth your attention.

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