Bobby Murray - The Blues Is Now (2006)

Longtime sideman Bobby Murray shines on his solo debut album, The Blues Is Now. Murray wisely hired Freddie Hughes and Frankie Lee as vocalists, freeing him to concentrate on his guitar. And he's a fine guitarist, as he proves here, turning out jazzy, classy solos that separate him from the rest of the crowd. That's the key to The Blues is Now — Murray plays it cool where others play it hot, and that turns out to be rather refreshing.