It almost never happened: these live recordings were rescued from a skip after being lost for over 20 years, though you’d never suspect it from listening to them. They were made on three separate dates in 1977, while Waters was riding high on the release of his comeback album, Hard Again. Most of that album’s recording personnel (including its producer, Johnny Winters) are present here, backing the 60-something veteran through storming, free-for-all renditions of not only his repertoire, but Winter’s and Cotton’s too.
The opening medley of Black Cat Bone and Dust My Broom sets the mood: a full-on blues party, with all involved swapping verses and solos, shouting out encouragement and generally having a great time. On the second track Waters breaks everything down with a sparse, beautiful Can’t Be Satisfied. Throughout, there’s the feeling of all concerned putting everything into these performances, particularly on the standout Caledonia, where everyone gets to scream the chorus and pianist Pinetop Perkins gets a verse too. After the inevitable Got My Mojo Workin’ that closes the disc, all that’s left is to wonder what other treasures were found in that skip.
