James Wheeler - Can't Take It (2000)

It isn't the slick musicianship alone that makes bluesman James Wheeler so appealing; nor is it his songsmith's polish. Whether the beat boogies fast or drags slow, Wheeler's lyrics tell a good tale--and, amid all the laughs and crashes of life, a funny one, at that. The songs reflect such mature themes as the chugging confession of sexual malaise in "I Can't Take It" and the uptempo dressing-down of a selfish bedfriend in "Wasting My Time," while his blues makes a social statement in the guitar-charged "These Hard, Hard Times." Behind Wheeler's guitar is a finely tuned supporting cast, featuring gifted Billy Flynn's slide guitar, Ken Saydak's tasteful keyboards, and Ron Sorin's heartbreaking harmonica, with bassist Bob Stroger and drummer Marty Binder providing a roomful of rhythm. Listen to Flynn's slide slice through the breathless shuffle "Who Loves You, Baby?" and feel the sadness in Saydak's piano on the lonely ballad "Sometimes." (Alan Greenberg)