I first heard James Cotton on the Sam Charters Vanguard anthology Chicago/The Blues/Today in 1965 and saw him on stage at the original Fillmore Auditorium not too long after that, a show where, I believe, he was actually still touring with Otis Spann and S.P. Leary (If you haven’t heard Otis Spann’s barrelhouse piano, I highly recommend it). Highlights since include a show at Winterland where he and his band pulled the rug out from under Cream in March of 1968, a week’s worth of shows at a club called the Egress in Vancouver in 1973 and a show at the Commodore in 1976 (at this show, per usual practise, the band played a couple of warm-up numbers, and Matt Murphy was a real stand-out. I assumed he was in his twenties because of his youthful energy and contemporary chops, but it turns out he’s of an age with Cotton.). I haven’t seen Cotton live for several decades, but have continued to buy his records, and I got this despite feeling that it might be like the Tony Bennett duets stuff, or B.B. King’s  80th birthday set: none of that. He doesn’t sing any more, but he sure can play and, while he has some stellar players with him, they leave lots of room for top-notch harpooning. The set has a really nice feel to it, the tunes are fine, and the stars add to the music rather than dominating it.  Not bad having Joe Bonamassa around, or Warren Haynes. Keb Mo’ lends warmth to a couple of cuts and Ruthie Foster and Delbert McClinton each brings a special touch to a tune. Darrell Nulisch, often the singer with Cotton’s band  since Cotton gave it up, takes up the mic on other tunes, and the band is always good. Chuck Leavell, a fave since he showed up on the Allmans’ Brothers and Sisters, plays some as well. All in all, I’ve found this a very satisfying set and am happy to reconnect with one of the favourite musicians of my younger days and to find out that everything is cooking along as it seemingly always has.