As summer winds down and the humidity starts to stick in the way that only August knows how, I’ve been listening to a lot of Otis Spann’s The Blues Never Die record. It’s a perfect back porch LP, a sound that lulls in the background while the ice in your drink slowly melts as the sun beats on. “The Blues Never Die” has a nice hitched gait rhythm to it, a swagger with a slight drawl.
Spann made his name playing with Muddy Waters, and the whole outfit is largely present on this record, with some wonderful harmonica playing by James Cotton. Get the whole record if you have the chance, because there really isn’t a weak song on the album. Just some good simmering Chicago blues.
The Art of the Mixtape 