MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: MUD MORGANFIELD - THEY CALL ME MUD

Although he didn't know a whole lot about his father Muddy Waters (Mud was one of several children born out of wedlock to the blues master), he nonetheless felt the blues calling through his life. Still, he was in his fifties before giving in, and now Morganfield is making up for lost time, with a fourth album since his emergence in 2008. With his deep, rich voice, he's a natural, and when he sings "The blues is my birthright" on opener They Call Me Mud, it's hard to argue.

The blues, and a bit more actually. His last album, the award-winning For Pops, was a straight tribute to his father, but this has more of the soul feel that he grew up admiring in the '70's on several tracks. Cheatin' Is Cheatin' is smooth as silk, a fine ballad with horn accents, and Who's Fooling Who? is funky stuff. But Howling Wolf is definitely gritty Chess stuff, of course, and Mud has no problem looking back. He's the main writer on most of the cuts, and makes sure we know he's keen on moving the music forward. There's lots of fine playing throughout, especially from harp ace Studebaker John, and if you took away the famous name, there's no question this would still be a strong new blues album, from an especially fine singer and writer.