Eric Clapton has now reached retirement age, but is still a busy guy. In the last few years alone, he has released a solo album, hosted a Crossroads Guitar Festival and went on tour with Steve Winwood to revive the days gone by of Blind Faith. Now there is a collaboration with the New Orleans jazz trumpet player Wynton Marsalis. What we get served is a bizarrely tasty gumbo of New Orleans jazz and
… blues. A good example of this is Forty Four. Clapton hasn't sung so well since 1994's From The Cradle. Well-known jazz standards such as Careless Love and Just A Closer Walk With Thee pass by. Clapton's smooth blues solos are not always in place when a fast swing comes by, but the fairly consistent genius of Wynton Marsalis and his boys makes Clapton the biggest surprise. In the last two songs we are treated to the vocals of Taj Mahal. (SI)more