Fleetwood Mac BLUES JAM IN CHICAGO 1

Fleetwood Mac: Jeremy Spencer (vocals, guitar, slide guitar); Danny Kirwan, Peter Green (vocals, guitar); John McVie (bass guitar); Mick Fleetwood (drums).
Additional personnel: Otis Spann (vocals, piano); David Honeyboy Edwards, Buddy Guy (guitar); Big Walter Horton (harmonica); J.T. Brown (tenor saxophone); Willie Dixon (acoustic bass guitar); S.P. Leary (drums).
This set, recorded at Chess Record's Ter-Mar complex in Chicago, pairs Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac with some of the Windy City's blues legends including Willie Dixon, Otis Spann, Buddy Guy, and David "Honeyboy" Edwards. Put together on short notice, and recorded in one day, the sessions have something of a ramshackle feel, but the energy of the performances transcends any shortcomings on this date. Dixon oversaw the proceedings, and can be heard during the between-song banter giving directions and chastising Walter "Shakey" Horton for missing his cues.
Since the Peter Green-led Fleetwood Mac was so directly influenced by Chicago blues, the session acts as a kind of stylistic homecoming for the band. Bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood contribute driving rhythms while guitarists Danny Kirwan and Jeremy Spencer lend both rhythms and the occasional lead. Green's stunningly fluid guitar work is at the fore, as usual. But the real treat is picking out the Chess players--Otis Spann's piano on "I Got the Blues," J.T. Brown's tenor sax on Elmore James's "I Can't Hold Out," or Guy and Edwards, who go toe-to-toe with Green on "Red Hot Jam," one of the session's indisputable highlights.

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop