Like his famous A&R father, John Hammond (Jr.) is best known for his association with others. Which is no sin, seeing as how the art of interpretive singing is nearly lost, even among old blues-folkies (folk-bluesies?) like John. And the younger Hammond has been on a real creative roll lately, what with his 2002 collection of Tom Waits covers, Wicked Grin, and 2003’s Ready For Love, whose major story was the appearance of Hammond’s first-ever self-penned song, “Slick Crown Vic.” This time around, he’s written more songs than ever – two. This is a man eminently comfortable roaming around in others’ music.

And why not? As this CD proves, John makes everything his own, be it Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” Howlin’ Wolf’s “I’m Leaving You,” or the pair of Ray Charles classics here (“I Got A Woman,” stripped bare of its urbanity, and “Fool For You,” which clings tenaciously to its very Genius melody). It should probably go without saying at this point that Hammond’s two new originals—the title track and “Come To Find Out”—fit right in with the chestnuts here, many of which are over a half-century old. Then again, John knows they do, which is why they’re almost randomly tossed in the mix.

His taste in country blues is, as always, impeccable, and it only needs to be noted that this particular release, while finding him in better vocal form than ever, is less scholarly and, paradoxically, a bit less far-ranging in its influences than usual. But artists like Hammond are all about consistency, and while this CD won’t establish him as a major songwriter, it is another brick in his own formidable legacy. And if you’re young enough to wonder how someone can build a legacy through interpretation alone, In Your Arms Again is as good a place as any to start learning.