Kenny Neal - Blues Fallin' Down Like Rain (1998)

After building an impressive catalog at Alligator, Kenny Neal switched to Telarc Blues with Blues Fallin' Down Like Rain. Some blues enthusiasts wondered if the Baton Rouge singer/guitarist would fare as well creatively at Telarc as he had at Alligator, but they needn't have worried, for this excellent CD is every bit as strong as his Alligator dates. Neal's foundation continued to be Louisiana swamp blues, with the occasional detour into Louisiana R&B. It doesn't get much swampier than "Strike While the Iron Is Hot" and the haunting "Shadow On the Moon." Neal turns his attention to Chicago blues on Jimmy Reed's hit "Big Boss Man" and the often recorded Willie Dixon classics "My Babe" and "I'm Ready," all of which he gives a Louisiana-style makeover. Never have these blues standards sounded more swampy than they do in Neal's hands. Meanwhile, he gets into a Louisiana R&B groove on "Someday" and brings a touch of funk to "Just a Matter of Time." Blues Fallin' Down Like Rain is an album that Neal should be proud of.