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music he loved but no, the record company had the idea of a blues album and apparently Shatner
didn’t even know what blues was. There are some brilliant musicians involved here—Kirk Fletcher,
Ronnie Earl, Canned Heat, Albert Lee etc.—but for me the vocals just drag the whole thing down.

Sonny Landreth plays wonderful slide guitar on Cream’s ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ but I couldn’t stand
to hear it once, let alone consider ever listening to it again. I would say the album is a 'joke' but I
didn't find it at all funny and am surprised the musicians involved agreed to take part (maybe they
were all Star Trek fans?). I'm not a blues purist and I do have a sense of humour but I'm afraid that as
a blues fan I felt this record was a travesty.

Graham Harrison

Kirk Fletcher—My Blues Pathway—Cleopatra Records ASIN :
B08DJP7SHZ
This new album from Kirk Fletcher features a mix of originals,
covers and two co-writes with Robert Cray’s bass player, Richard

Cousins and on the opener 'Ain’t No Cure For The Downhearted' it's
Mr. Cray that Kirk most reminds you of, on this very soul-leaning
blues - especially with his very eloquent, effortless guitar solo. The
band is Jeff Babko (keyboards), Travis Carlton (bass), Lemar Carter
or David Kida (drums), Joe Sublett (sax) and Mark Pender

(trumpet). Like Robert Cray the sound throughout the album is very
smooth soul, with keyboards and brass, and with Kirk's stinging
guitar adding that blues edge - although some of the covers are rather surprising—'Rather Fight than
Switch' is by sax player A.C. Reed and 'Fattening Frogs for Snakes' is the Sonny Boy Williamson song
given a complete reimagining here. However, 'Heart So Heavy' is a powerful slow blues in the B.B.
King tradition, with Kirk excelling himself on guitar and the whole band backing him up perfectly.
The final track 'Life Gave Me a Dirty Deal' is an acoustic version of the old Juke Boy Bonner song with

Charlie Musselwhite on harp and Josh Smith on National guitar, a nice contrast to the rest of the
album. Kirk has been around for a while as a sideman with various bands and artists (including Mr.
Musselwhite) but I think this very good album, with its excellent guitar playing, finally sees him
moving into the first rank of blues artists.

Graham Harrison

Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—100 Years Of Blues—
Alligator ASIN : B08D4F8NW5
I've loved Elvin's last two records with his Big Fun Trio and as well
as harp player supreme Charlie Musselwhite up front, his record

also features Bob Welsh from the Trio on 2nd. guitar and piano. It
was recorded at Kid Andersen's Greaseland Studios in San Jose and
Bishop’s own Hog Heaven Studios in Lagunitas, with Kid also
helping out on bass. Elvin and Charlie are old friends (and fishing
buddies) having met in Chicago back in the 60s when Elvin was with
Paul Butterfield's band and Charlie headed north from Memphis

looking for work, before they both relocated to the West coast. We
get off to a great start with the knock-about 'Birds of a Feather' with Elvin singing about "a whole

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