Riding With The King

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

Just the thought of these two blues masters together is enough to lift you out of whatever blues you may happen to be in. And this album does have its moments, including the heartfelt, world-weary Worried Life Blues. It's a shame that some of the other performances aren't a bit grittier. Many of the songs sound like victory-lap music, the polite, tuxedoed stuff you play at the Kennedy Center after accepting a lifetime-achievement award. King and Clapton are too good, too vital to be enshrined just yet. Let's hope they team up again.

--By Christopher John Farley