James Cotton's third solo release on Telarc,
Baby, Don't You Tear My Clothes picks up where
35th Anniversary Jam of the James Cotton Blues Band left off. The strongest of these 13 tracks find
Cotton and associates digging back to the '30s for inspiration:
Doc & Merle Watson assist on
Leroy Carr's "How Long Blues," "Stealin' Stealin'" with
Dave Alvin, "Key to the Highway" featuring
Odetta, and a bluesy take on the
Jimmie Rodgers country standard "Muleskinner Blues." This is mainly a mid-tempo, laid-back session with plenty of
Cotton's harp virtuosity, which shines brightest on the instrumentals "Coach's Better Days," "Blues for Jacklyn," and "Friends." Also making contributions to the album are
Peter Rowan,
C.J. Chenier,
Rory Block,
Jim Lauderdale, and
Marcia Ball.
Cotton's core band of guitarist
Derek O'Brien, pianist
David Maxwell, bassist
Noel Neal, and drummer
Per Hanson are the glue that hold this session together; they maintain a certain continuity that has been absent on similar "superstar" sessions. Both the blues novice and the fanatic will enjoy this disc. ~ Al Campbell