Junior Wells: Live at Nightstage

Recorded in 1986 at a Cambridge, MA nightclub, this 11-song performance by the late blues singer/harmonica player Junior Wells and longtime partner guitarist Buddy Guy boasts some moments that are so primal, so deep in the groove, that it's almost as if you're listening to a different musical language. First up is Guy, who launches into a medley of "Look Over Yonders Wall" and "Sweet Home Chicago," serving up a series of incredibly febrile, burning solos and fine singing. When Wells joins him, the decades of playing together (Guy first recorded with Wells on the latter's Hoodoo Man Blues in '65) become readily apparent in the pair's interplay. And when they get to Wells' "Tribute to Muddy Waters," the funk is so thick you can nearly smell it (no matter that you can barely decipher a word he's singing—Junior was never exactly known for perfect enunciation). More homages follow—to Muddy ("Trouble No More"), Little Walter ("Juke"), Sonny Boy Williamson ("My Younger Days"), and even James Brown ("Super Bad" and "I Got You [I Feel Good]"), rounding out a show that falls short of technical perfection (the video's a little murky and the PCM stereo is less than crisp) but flirts with transcendence on an artistic level. DVD extras include a brief bonus 1989 performance by Wells and Guy (with a backstage interview), and an informative booklet. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)