According to the original liner notes, this 1959
Willie Dixon session was cut during a two hour span in between flights. This certainly explains the relaxed, jam session feel of the recordings. Unfortunately, the songs come out sounding sluggish and stilted at times; this is partly due, no doubt, to the makeshift nature of the date, but also, more surprisingly, because of drummer
Gus Johnson's overly slick and formalized playing. On top of this, one has to contend with
Dixon's less-then-inspired vocals -- it's
Dixon's writing talents and A&R savvy in the blues world that warrant him a place in the pantheon, not his skills at the microphone. That all said, this still is an enjoyable disc to listen to, not least of all because of the quality of
Dixon's many originals and the freshness of pianist
Memphis Slim's playing. And while the vaudevillian comedy of a song like "Built for Comfort" can be traced to
Dixon's earlier pop R&B work with the
Big Three Trio, rougher blues standouts like "Go Easy" and "Move Me" lead back to the Chicago blues world
Dixon shared with
Muddy Waters and
Howlin' Wolf. Not a first disc for curious listeners, but certainly a pleasant enough addition to the blues lover's collection. ~ Stephen Cook