Mojo On My Side

Rick Vito, a much acclaimed Grammy-nominated sideman, got his first shot at making guitar history in 1974 when he joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers for four albums. He then worked with various artists—including Bonnie Raitt—before, in 1987, replacing Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac where he spent several years before recording his first solo LP, 1992's King of Hearts. Mojo On My Side is his newest offering and I was stunned by his singing (!) and playing—a lot of it using his slide with considerable effect. Eleven of the 14 tracks are originals that range from the down-home spiritual “Help Me, Lord” on acoustic guitar to “Femme Fatale,” a slide-infused slinky instrumental as well as my favorite, “House Party,” another raving slide outing with Vito cleverly reworking Clarence “Frogman” Henry's catchy riff-based “Ain't Got No Home.” Not all blues here, but one, Magic Sam's “Easy Baby,” gets an appropriately relaxed treatment. Vito also plays bass and is joined throughout by Charles “Mojo” Johnson—a helluva drummer!