Dirty Linen (p.88) - "The influence of the blues has been pervasive and wide-ranging, not to mention international in scale, as this compilation demonstrates."
A distinctly American form of music, the blues is also heartily embraced by performers from all over the globe, a point hit home by this 11-track Putumayo compilation. Although a few U.S. blues luminaries (Bonnie Raitt, Otis Spann, Taj Mahal) appear here, the collection largely consists of international takes on this most primordial of pop musical forms. Highlights include the folk-rooted "Listen My Son" by the India-based group the Unseen Guest and the easy-going "La Flaca" by the Spanish ensemble Jarabe de Palo.