Johnnie Bassett - I Can Make That Happen

The veteran bluesman Johnnie Bassett is a Detroit blues legend and he's still making recordings that are soulful and funky at the age of seventy six. On this record he's supported by ace musicians belonging to two popular Detroit bands, The Brothers Groove and The Motor City Horns.

Bassett's familiarity with jazz, R&B and soul is just as considerable as his blues knowledge; he's held his own in the company of luminaries from various strains of great American music including Ruth Brown, Big Joe Turner, Smokey Robinson, Tina Turner, Dinah Washington and former neighbour John Lee Hooker. He has his own unique sound, typified by his open tuning, his impeccable timing, his personal way of bending notes, his mix of playfulness and relaxation in phrasing, and his arsenal of signature licks.

The album ends with a stirring rendition of Jimi Hendrix's The Wind Cries Mary. Bassett hosted a Sunday night jam session decades ago in Seattle where a young Hendrix regularly attended and performed. The enterprising guitarist brings their connection full circle as he and his colleagues locate many new pockets of freshness in the familiar song.

Personnel: Johnnie Bassett (guitar, vocals), Skeeto Valdez (drums, percussion), James Simonson (bass), Chris Cordish (piano, electric piano, organ, The Motor City Horns and others