James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, David Wilcox, In Person: Guitar Heroes Making History (Stony Plain)

Like many contemporary blues/roots labels, Stony Plain’s catalog is littered with several all-star collections which pair two or more solo artists on one CD. Most aren’t bad, and they have their moments. However, while the participants often complement each other, these things can tend to drag on into a “this is what I can do. Let’s see what you can do” monotony.

As the artists here and the title indicates, this is a six-string summit that appeals to your basic guitar geek. Recorded at the Vancouver Island MusicFest in 2013 (my old stomping grounds!) this CD consists of 11 “jams,” as only one track comes in under five minutes. The opener “That’s Alright Mama” sets the tempo as everyone gets into the fray with a solo.

“Suzie Q” of course features Louisiana’s James Burton, who shows his tele can still cut the mustard. While there’s a lot of familiar songs in the mix—”Polk Salad Annie,” “Sleep Walk,” “Leave My Woman Alone”—some of the more advanced playing can be heard on more obscure titles like “Comin’ Home Baby” with its complicated/catchy chord changes.

Another standby “Flip Flop And Fly” features some slide guitar included in the playful back-and-fourth between the pickers.

On the country side, “Old And Young,” contains an echoey James Burton break that sounds almost like a wailing steel guitar. If you’re a guitar person, this is worth a listen. Good to know these guys are still pickin’.