Larry McCray - Born To Play The Blues (1998)

After a brief detour with the Bluegills' duet album Meet Me at the Lake, Larry McCray returned to form with the storming Born to Play the Blues. Since his 1991 debut Ambition, McCray has been hailed as one of the great contemporary bluesmen of the '90s, and this record reminds us why. It isn't that he offers any innovations or surprises -- it's that he is a pure, no-nonsense bluesman, delivering solid guitar lines and soulful vocals. McCray also gets credit for not sticking with tried-and-true material, choosing to write his own songs and try out several tunes from Dave Steen and taking a stab at a Warren Hayes cover. Throughout it all, he plays and sings with passion and heart, confirming his position as one of the finest contemporary bluesmen around. ~Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine