WILL ROY SANDERS
Sanders is a beloved local legend, and without having seen the man perform, it may be inappropriate for an out-of-town writer to judge his talent. Still, it seems like Shangri-La has gone a little overboard in its commemoration of his legacy, with a film, a palm-sized oral-history book, and also this soundtrack. For most of the disc, Sanders plays acoustic blues (sometimes accompanied on electric guitar by James Boner) interspersed with brief stories and comments. Sanders is an engaging singer with a full-throated waver in his voice when he lets loose. It's satisfactory down-home blues, yes, but not exactly toe-curling. He's credited with writing all of the tunes, but "Please Don't Put Me Outdoors" sounds exactly like Willie Cobbs' "You Don't Love Me." An electric band joins him for "Green's Lounge Shuffle," recorded live in 1997. For most, the highlights of the album will be the pair of tunes from the Binghampton Blues Boys' rare 1964 single "Crosscut Saw"/"Slim's Twist." Although these have been taken from scratchy vinyl, they're searing, soulful electric blues; the B-side, even more obscure than its flip, is a midtempo instrumental.
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