One sign of a truly great and vital music scene is when it produces amazing artists who could easily end up on the national stage but—through no fault of their talent—get no further than drawing a loyal fanbase to sweaty gigs in small clubs around town. From the late-'70s blues scene in Chicago, John and Sylvia Embry fit this bill—both together and on their own (she was a singer/bassist for Lefty Dizz, and he was a bandleader). On this set, John's hard tone and searing lines recall Buddy Guy and Albert King, while Sylvia's an excellent bassist with a gospel-trained voice who keeps up with the guitarist. Recorded live in 1979 and originally issued with the title After Work, this album has been remastered with additional unissued tracks, plus songs from a single tagged on for good measure. There are a few well-chosen covers like “Mustang Sally” and “Lie to Me,” but it’s the originals by Sylvia that are particularly noteworthy—the opener, “Wonder Why,” has a stunning guitar solo, “Troubles” slows things down to let Sylvia testify, and “Gonna Find My Baby” is simply a classic. Those looking for some serious hard-edged blues could do much worse.