Big Bill Morganfield
Born Lover
(Black Shuck/VizzTone)

Initially hearing the growling, cool-as-ice baritone, you sense there's something familiar about what you're listening to. Digging a little deeper, you soon find that the music, while rooted in tradition, has a sense of individuality and original fire coursing through it. Big Bill Morganfield has the blood of his dad, Muddy Waters, in his music. But with each album he puts out, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Bill is his own man.

Morganfield's latest outing, Born Lover, is loaded with songs written by a Who's Who of blues titans—from Willie Dixon to Buddy Guy. There are also Morganfield's self-penned works, stamped with the classic Chicago sound his late father helped originate, and that Morganfield himself translates with a newfound vitality. The overall vibe of the album is laid back, in-the-pocket, tight-knit grooves—which seem to be Morganfield's forte. At the helm here is Bob Margolin, former guitarist in Muddy Waters' band. Margolin, as producer, aims to honor Muddy's pedigree, but wisely coaxes Morganfield to be himself. Margolin concludes in the liner notes that this disc is an "exciting leap forward" for Morganfield's sound.

With standout tracks like the hypnotic funk of the original "High Gas Prices," and the slinky, careening, harmonica-driven, Snooky Pryor-written "Peace of Mind," Big Bill Morganfield takes a giant leap as a certifiable, exciting blues performer, and an even bigger jump out of his father's shadow.—Mark Uricheck