Here are two recordings that capture the blues like it was invented yesterday, yet reflect the accumulated wisdom of every blues man that ever hit the road. This is “no bullshit,” pure blues work without the commercial R&B clichés.

Homesick James’ career straddles both the pre-World War II country blues and the post war urban sound. His slide guitar work conjures images of every lonesome locomotive, swamp, and empty road between Texas, North Carolina, and Chicago. Many of the tunes are the slow “movin’” blues that allows of extended soloing and maximum involvement from the listener.

Melvin Taylor is the young, tough, muscular, urban blues improviser; the kind of guy the white rock-n’-rollers of the 60s tried to emulate. The musical precursors to Acid Rock are obvious and much more exciting in the blues context. His technique is masterful. The licks on the first cut, “Texas Flood” will be enough to sell you and it gets better from there. His version of the classic “Tin Pan Alley” can’t be missed. Taylor was very much under recorded early in his career, but now has additional albums out on the Evidence label. All are artistically excellent, but the sound on Blues On The Run (Evidence ECD 26041) is curiously un-dynamic and lacking in ambience. For a second selection from Taylor, get Dirty Pool with “Merry Christmas Baby.” There ya go, a Christmas CD.

- Russell Novak