ELMORE JAMES & THE BROOM DUSTERS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Blues great Elmore James was known for a couple of things, musically at least. King of the slide guitar, his penchant for the instrument is obvious. Meanwhile, his love of playing loud, in turn getting the most out of that powerhouse voice, is perhaps less apparent when listening now, 60 years after his death. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-r since 1992, his backing band would eventually comprise two musicians who played with the legendary Tampa Red, whose songs James also had a habit of recording. Blues After Hours is certainly definitive James stuff, a raw, drawly, barroom of a record that sees the artist and his accompaniment invoke memories, borrowed and owned, of hot evenings in Deep South bars. Sadly lost long before his time, dying from a heart attack in 1963, just days before a European tour that would have catapulted his name globally, this is a fantastic memento of true legend.