With more than 20 albums to his credit — one a Grammy winner, three of them Grammy nominees — James Cotton still brings freshness to his blues harmonica. You'd think that, after 75 years and having played with everybody from Muddy Waters, to B.B. King, to Santana and even the Grateful Dead, some rest might be due.
Not so for Cotton — in fact, Giant shows that he still has a few tricks up his sleeve. The vocals here are spot-on, the harp playing is electrifying and his range covers it all — for instance, he plays it raw on "Going Down Main Street" and "Find Yourself Another Fool," and goes for a softer side on "Sad Sad Day." If you're familiar with B.B. King's rendition of "How Blue Can You Get?" then you owe it to yourself to hear Cotton's version — his take on "I been downhearted baby, ever since the day we met” simply nails it. Giant’s 12 tracks display a dozen examples proving that Cotton is still an unrelenting force in the blues world.
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