Troy Turner, Whole Lotta Blues (Evidence Records)

Troy Turner, Whole Lotta Blues (Evidence Records)
The title of this one is somewhat misleading. A better one might well be A Little Bit of Blues and Let’s Rock a While. The former Baton Rouge guitarist recorded this in Nashville with the multi-tasking Jon Tiven producing. Former Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin co-wrote several of the songs here. In fact, he helps out on the clever title track that serves as the opening track and high point of the CD. Thereafter, though, the quality generally disappoints. Turner rips off some decent solos, but the break-neck tempos are repetitive and the material is largely unimaginative.

Tiven’s liner notes compare Turner to B.B King and Buddy Guy, but those are awfully big shoes to fill. If blues-rock—with the emphasis on rock—is your bag, you find this has something to offer. But for the blues purist, you might want to look elsewhere.