Cotton's blues pedigree shines through on latest

James Cotton's career reads like a travelogue along the blues highway. At the age of 9 -- 9! -- the native of Tunica, Miss., was taken under wing by the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson, whose harp-playing the young Cotton listened to faithfully on the King Biscuit Hour out of Helena, Ark., just across the river.\nCotton then formed his own band when he was still in his teens and promptly set about recording for the equally legendary Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis. After that, Cotton, at the ripe old age of 18, hooked up with the -- you know the word -- legendary Muddy Waters, for whom Cotton played harp for 12 years.\nBy 1966, Cotton was ready to launch his own stellar career, which continues with the release of Baby, Don't You Tear My Clothes, a CD filled with top-notch guest appearances by Bobby Rush, Dave Alvin, Marcia Ball, C.J. Chenier, Rory Block and Odetta, among others.\nCotton and Co. cover a lot of ground, with modern interpretations of Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Jimmie Rodgers, Big Bill Broonzy, Sam Cooke and Slim Harpo. The album also includes three solid Cotton originals, all laced with Cotton's sweet, addictive harmonica. It's hard to go wrong with James Cotton -- after all, he's got the pedigree for greatness.