"Big boss man is still the man today," growls Omar Dykes on one of just two non-Jimmy Reed covers from a rare release without his Howlers band. That handily sums up this roaring and impassioned tribute to one of the most vital, influential, yet often unheralded figures in blues. What was intended as a solo Dykes project took on a unique tinge as fellow Texan Jimmie Vaughan--also a huge Reed fan--swung by to add some solos and stayed to contribute his concise and taut guitar lines to nearly every track. The duo also brought in veteran harpists Kim Wilson (the Fabulous Thunderbirds), James Cotton (Muddy Waters), and local icon Gary Primich, as well as long time Vaughan associate Lou Ann Barton to upshift the groove with her sexy vocals. The resulting disc finds that slippery Reed pocket of sly, lazy, yet edgy shuffles that are deceptively difficult to recreate. Although Dykes's powerfully gruff, Howlin' Wolf-styled voice is nowhere near Reed's far less incisive approach, the bass-free instrumentation and Vaughan's guitar lines perfectly capture the essence of Reed's loping, low-key persona. Only a handful of these tracks ("Big Boss Man," "Baby What You Want Me to Do," "Bright Lights, Big City," and "Caress Me Baby") will be familiar to most, with others rescued from the deeper recesses of the bluesman's catalog. That makes this both a smooth drive and an immensely enjoyable learning experience for those wishing to take a field trip down Jimmy Reed's rugged highway. --Hal Horowitz
