When your father was the late Chicago blues and Chess Records icon
Jimmy Rogers (not to be confused with pioneering country singer
Jimmie Rodgers), some would argue that you have a hell of a lot to live up to. But the question "How does
Jimmy D. Lane compare to
Jimmy Rogers?" is both unrealistic and unfair -- it would be like expecting
Ravi Coltrane to accomplish what
John Coltrane accomplished, or expecting
Hank Williams, Jr. to be another
Hank Williams, Sr. Besides,
Lane is a fine Chicago bluesman in his own right. With
Rogers making a guest appearance on "One Room Country Shack" and
Muddy Waters' "Another Mule Kicking in Your Stall," listeners get to hear father and son playing alongside one another.
Rogers, who died on December 19, 1997, had only two months to live when this historically important album was made. But
Legacy is not only noteworthy because it contains the last recording of
Rogers; it's also noteworthy because of the rich singing and expressive guitar playing that
Lane brings to
Memphis Slim's "Four O'Clock in the Morning" and
Howlin' Wolf's "Big House," as well as heartfelt originals like "In This Bed," "Clue Me," and "Pride."
Lane is someone who really understands the blues, and that fact is impossible to miss on this excellent date.