Hot Foot Powder

by Tim GriggsHot Foot Powder is Peter Green's second album made up entirely of covers of the music by the legendary Delta bluesman Robert Johnson. In fact, with this album and its predecessor, The Robert Johnson Songbook, Green has recorded every song that Robert Johnson is known to have composed and recorded. Where Johnson often played and sang like a man whose life depended on it, Green plays and sings like a man whose next beer depends on it, surprisingly with very nice results. His performance on the title track is marvelously lazy and laid-back throughout this bluesy album, which also features Green's band, the Splinter Group, including Nigel Watson. Dr. John, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Hubert Sumlin, and Joe Louis Walker all make guest appearances on the album, along with Honey Boy Edwards, who knew and performed with Robert Johnson. The only slight drawback to this album are the few vocal performances of Nigel Watson, who is, perhaps, technically a better vocalist than Peter Green; however, his voice lacks Green's soulful weariness. Hot Foot Powder's packaging, designed by 9th Planet, is both a creative and fun complement to the music within.