Bob Margolin’s blues pedigree is unassailable – he spent seven years playing behind Muddy Waters, helped shape albums by greats like Koko Taylor, and he’s played with everybody from Junior Wells to Steven Seagal.
What’s often overlooked is that ‘Steady Rollin’ has quietly forged a significant body of solo work; My Road is his latest, a solid mix of original songs and choice covers.
Fronting a three-piece band, Margolin rips through these songs with the energy of a live set. My Whole Life is the album’s cornerstone, a brassy shuffle with biographical lyrics and harpist Tad Walters’ lonesome wails. Margolin is no crooner, though, his vocals on slower numbers sounding forced. Much better is his energetic duet with drummer Chuck Cotton on Nappy Brown’s Bye Bye Baby. Margolin’s fretwork is stunning throughout, making My Road a collection for those who love old-school blues guitar.
