Hugh Laurie is best known for his superb acting in “House”, but there’s a lot more to this Englishman than meets the eye: along with his love for motorcycles and motorcycle racing, he has a passion for the old blues.  He wants others to understand and love this genre too, which has resulted in this album.

The album is stained with tobacco, sweat and whisky, as Laurie and his cohorts play song after song involving various topics of that period.  It is startling and jaw-dropping.  While one is aware of Laurie’s talent (he played piano on a song on Meat Loaf’s “Hang cool teddy bear”), it is now apparent is a great deal more talented than that.  He’s also gotta lotta soul...

This is a superb piece of work that deserves a great deal more promotion.  If this is how blues is revived, then count me in!  Play it again, Hugh...

Nick van der Meulen