Little Milton adds to blues tradition

Since beginning his career nearly 50 years ago, bluesman Little Milton Campbell has recorded for some of the greatest and most important labels on R&B history, including Sun, Stax and now Malaco.\nAnd along the way, he's established himself as one of the genre's elder statesmen by producing a sturdy, dependable catalog of material that skillfully straddles the fence between blues and soul.\nGuitar Man, which was recorded partially at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama, is another solid entry into Milton's ever-growing record of accomplishment. It also proves that Malaco is still one of the few labels out there that passionately and consistently works to keep traditional blues and soul alive.\nMuch of the credit goes to Milton's supporting cast, especially organ and piano player Clayton Ivey, whose cool playing floats sumptuously through the album. Milton is also fortunate to have the horn trio of Vinnie Ciesielski, Harvey Thompson and Charles Rose, who punctuate Milton's time-tested vocals with precision.\nPerhaps the best cut on the album is the doleful "I Could Have Saved Our Love," which evokes memories of Clarence Carter's aching classic, "Slip Away." And the only real weak track on the CD is the album-ending cover of the shlocky Sinatra standard "My Way."\nBut overall, enjoy Guitar Man with a rack of ribs and some corn bread - this is the real deal.