Rick Moore has been compared to greats. J.J. Cale, John Hiatt, Delbert McClinton, etc. "Live In The USA" is a great Memphis blues CD with Rick Moore & The Mr. Lucky band. "Live" is an electric blues album that capture the essence of Rick Moore. Great musicianship that makes you think "I've been missing this!" and raunchy vocals that totally capture the spirit of the "sound" of the genre.

Rick Moore is a singer/songwriter/guitar player bread from fine stock in the middle of "Cotton Country" just east of Memphis Tennessee. Rick has traveled the globe from Europe (with "Mink" Willie Deville) has tried to lay roots all over the U.S. including New York, Boulder, and Key West, until he finally "landed" in Nashville in 1987 to include himself in the thriving R&B, Blues, and Rock scene there.

Definite stand-outs here include "Make lovin' You My Business(or binness)", as well as the Randy Newman penned "Guilty" which Rick says in the intro is "Real down home New Orleans blues", and that it is. "Chicken house Blues" and "Swingin' Her Stuff". Rick takes each composition, whether or not it his own, and makes it his with an "RM" blues stamp.

I'm glad Rick Moore and Mr. Lucky decided to stay "home" and record the blues "Live In The USA" where it can be appreciated for what it is, genuine down home boogie woogie blues. They chose a great venue as well (Bourbon Street Boogie Bar, blues club of the year in 2000), in Nashville.

As for the comparisons, they all fit as Rick Moore takes a little from all of them and throws in other influences from B.B. King to Fats Domino. A rollicking trip you can take over and over, and get taken away each and every time. I've heard better blues albums in the past, But Rick & Mr. Lucky take us rollin' into the new millennium with a classic, and classy blues style. The CD both takes you down memory lane, and adds contemporary "splashes" in the mix as well.

Rick Moore- Guitar/Lead Vocals, Sammy Stafford- Slide and lead guitar/bg vocals, Tim Hinkley- Keyboards/bg vocals/Lead Vocal on "Guilty", Jerry "Snake" King- Bass/bg vocals and Mike Caputy- Dums.

If you enjoy "Live In The USA" the don't miss picking up Rick's first two critically acclaimed releases "Slow Burnin' Fire(1997)" and "Satisfied(1999)". Blues lovers are yellin' and screamin' for MOORE, and Rick delivers, he gets down, low down, and down right "funky". Way to go Rick, looking forward to the next one.

* * * * 1/2 (4.5 stars)