JUNIOR WELLS & THE ACES                                                                                                              Live in Boston – 1966                                                                                                                   Delmark 809

Recorded 16 September, 1966 at Club 47 in Cambridge, Massachusetts is this album’s providence – Junior with his original band when he went solo back in the 50s. A meeting of old pros once again, The Aces (guitarist Louis Myers, bass guitarist Dave Meyers, drummer Fred Below) are the epitome of sophisticated down-home blues from Chicago, music that was influenced by Robert Lockwood, the god-head of appropriate and controlled guitarism from the Windy City, the man who taught them all. Well over an hour of seriously good, tight, tasteful music, these guys knew what to do and did it. Everything is in its place, and no grandstanding being the rules of the night in question.

The repertoire runs the gamut of Wells hits and standards that have not worn out their welcome and he sells them all. Even the finale of “Got My Mojo Working” is different, being mainly a guitar feature for Louis Myers! Sound quality is surprisingly very good – I listened with headphones so’s not to disturb the natives in The Shire – for a mid-1960s location recording. Junior is in good nick singing, playing, and jiving with the crowd (no doubt a White college crowd… the club was near Harvard University) on this seamlessly edited CD. A hidden gem that has recently surfaced and been found worthy… VERY worthy, indeed. Get your hands on this one, everybody!

PETER B. LOWRY

Pub: THE BLUES TIMES; No 226, Jan 2010, p.9.