Big Dave Mclean - FOR THE BLUES - ALWAYS - [CD]

For the Blues was recorded live off the floor in three days in Vancouver with a band that featured Colin James, bassist Norm Fisher, pianist Eric Webster, drummer Chris Norquist, and sax player Johnny Ferreira. Their repertoire includes such tried-and-true standards as Elmore James's "Dust My Broom," Mississippi John Hurt's "Sliding Delta," and a pair of Willie Dixon tunes, "Just Your Fool" and "The Red Rooster." Producer and fellow guitarist Colin James calls Big Dave McLean "one of the great undiscovered bluesmen," and his enthusiasm for McLean's talent is borne out by the strength of For the Blues... Always. Despite being part of the Canadian scene for 28 years, this stalwart Winnipeg musician had only made one recording--a live album cut in Saskatoon in '89 called Muddy Waters for President--prior to this 1998 disc for the Alberta blues label Stony Plain. He was finally encouraged to come west for a session, and For the Blues was recorded live off the floor in three days in Vancouver with a band that featured Colin James, bassist Norm Fisher, pianist Eric Webster, drummer Chris Norquist, and sax player Johnny Ferreira. Their repertoire includes such tried-and-true standards as Elmore James's "Dust My Broom," Mississippi John Hurt's "Sliding Delta," and a pair of Willie Dixon tunes, "Just Your Fool" and "The Red Rooster." With a style that's low-key yet distinctive, McLean makes good use of his National steel and six-string acoustic guitars. He also has decent presence as a vocalist, especially on the impassioned ballad "My Adorable One" (a '60s hit for soul singer Joe Simon) and a husky and lusty version of Jimmy Reed's "Going to New York." Meanwhile, McLean's often flashy producer and sideman wisely stays out of the limelight on For the Blues , giving listeners a chance to enjoy the hearty music of a bluesman who's been too little known for too long. --Jason Anderson