Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan – On the Jimmy Reed Highway
If Jimmie Vaughan is involved, you know the groove is going to be deep and wide and true as an arrow. This album was conceived by Dykes (longtime frontman for Omar & the Howlers) as a solo tribute to the laconic Jimmy Reed, but after Vaughan was brought in for a couple tracks, he signed on as full partner. They’re abetted by many of the usual Austin suspects (Lou Ann Barton, Kim Wilson, Derek O’Brien, Gary Clark Jr., George Rains) as well as James Cotton and Delbert McClinton.
These combinations prove tight enough to function more like working bands than studio units, hewing to Reed’s minimalist philosophy without even trying to produce his inimitable, floating-on-air-with-a-good-beat sound. That puts most of the emphasis on the twelve songs, and the selection here is astute. Sure, there’s obvious ones such as “Big Boss Man” and the “Baby What You Want Me To Do”/”Bright Lights, Big City” medley, but you gotta have some of those, and they also come up with lesser-known beauts such as “I’ll Change My Style”.
Omar’s two original tribute songs, which begin and end the album, are a cut or two above the usual well-intended homages that so often wind up sounding mawkish and contrived. Vocally, Omar’s rough ‘n’ ready rasp couldn’t be more different than Reed’s gentle, nasal sweetness, but he makes it work anyhow; even “Caress Me Baby”, which sounded so incongruous at first, still hasn’t stopped growing on me. The final result is more than just a very cool tribute album; it’s one of the most satisfying blues sets this year.