Do Your Thing!
demonstrates that a bluesman doesn't have to be a fantastic vocalist to provide a meaningful album. Best known in Chicago blues circles for his ten years as
James Cotton
's guitarist,
Michael Coleman
isn't a singer's singer. He is an adequate singer with a relaxed, laid-back vocal style that owes a lot to
Jimmy Reed
, but as a guitarist,
Coleman
obviously has sizable chops. And thankfully, he takes a lot of guitar solos on
, which has as much to do with pre-1980 soul and funk as it does with electric Chicago blues. Not that
(who was 44 when this CD was recorded in July 2000) isn't an expressive singer -- he doesn't have massive pipes, but he still gets his points across on 12-bar blues numbers (including
Reed
's
"You Don't Have to Go"
and
Robert Geddins
'
"Tin Pan Alley"
) as well as soul classics like
Otis Redding
"Dock of the Bay,"
Isaac Hayes
"Do Your Thing,"
Latimore
"Let's Straighten It Out."
Meanwhile,
pleasantly surprises the listener with an instrumental version of
Fleetwood Mac
"Black Magic Woman,"
which was also recorded by
Santana
-- and which really gives him a chance to stretch out on guitar. And equally surprising is
's interpretation of
Jimi Hendrix
"Message of Love,"
which he changes from crunching hard rock to bluesy, rock-influenced soul.
isn't a masterpiece, but it's a decent effort from an impressive guitarist who is also a likable, if limited, singer. ~ Alex Henderson