Bob Margolin - Thanks (2023)

Bob Margolin gives THANKS to celebrate 50 years since he joined Muddy Waters Band - He plays the same Gibson archtop electric guitar that he played next to Muddy and The Band in The Last Waltz on every song here.

He recorded one song by Muddy from 1952 and one that he and Muddy wrote together in 1977. He sings The Shape I'm In by The Band as a Blues with 4-part harmony. He interprets Willie Dixon's Who, first done by Little Walter but later performed with Bob by R&B legend Nappy Brown. He covered Hard Working Man by his friend Jimmy Rogers, a Chicago Blues legend who played guitar with Muddy 25 years before Bob did. He rearranged Paul Gayten's For You My Love, which Bob used to play with piano legend Pinetop Perkins when they played together with Muddy until Pinetop passed at 97 in 2011. And he played four of his own songs, rearranging them to be played on that Gibson archtop now. Old songs, old guitar, new fire.

Bob created every sound on the album except for the joyous bark of Levon Margolin, Bob's Border Collie, during the guitar solo in "No Consolation." He tracked, mixed, mastered and produced the album. It is a very personal labor of love and a five decade journey.

Bob's time in Muddy's band ended in 1980 and Muddy passed in 1983. Muddy's unique spirit and voice are gone, but he deliberately placed Bob on the bandstand where he could follow, watch and learn. Particularly on slide guitar, Bob can evoke Muddy. Six months after he left Muddy's band, he opened a show for Muddy. After, Muddy put his hands on Bob's shoulders and said, "You're keeping the Old School alive."