Bill Johnson contributes eight originals to his Still Blue, each one a fine example of a contemporary blues song, not merely a retread of a familiar 12 bar theme, and each sung in his evocative voice. The variety of approaches, from the sneaky slide on “Another One” to the crisp lead guitar midway between Cray and Knopfler on “Habitual Survivor” is invigorating. Very hip phrases and a hard-luck lyric make the minor-key “Half The Man” stand out. Johnson shows he can reliably deliver straight blues on his shuffle “Old Les Paul Guitar” and three well-chosen covers from Slim Harpo, T-Bone Walker, and Howlin’ Wolf. Lee Roy Parnell’s roadhouse rocker “Red Hot” rounds out the set. A gem of an album! Posted: Jan 8, 2015 Originally Published: Jun 1, 2011