Irrefutable Evidence

Robert Jr. Lockwood
Plays Robert & Robert
Robert Johnson was good at two things: one insured his musical legacy and the other probably got him killed (at the hands, legend has it, of a jealous boyfriend or a spurned girlfriend). Robert Jr. Lockwood met up with Johnson at the crossroads of his two predilections: Lockwood's mother was captivated by the handsome blues man just as Lockwood, four years younger than Johnson, was captivated by his unique way with a guitar. Lockwood built his style around his mentor's teachings and carried that on after Johnson's untimely death.

Not surprisingly, the selections compiled on Plays Robert & Robert draw heavily from the Johnson songbook, with such staples as "Rambling on My Mind," "Kind Hearted Woman," and of course, "Sweet Home Chicago." Lockwood is alone and acoustic, the best setting for this type of music, strumming and picking deep Delta notes on his twelve-string. Although nothing here is as powerful nor as haunting as the originals, the album is still a worthwhile exercise. Besides reprising several successful Lockwood sides such as "Western Horizon," "Little Boy Blue," and "Take a Walk with Me," Robert Jr. cuts clean, inspired reproductions of the man whose shadow he'll never shake.