CD Review Al Hughes Conversations With The Blues By Gordon Baxter Blues On Stage. Review date: July 2001 On "Conversations With The Blues," Scottish singer/songwriter Al Hughes picks up where he left off with his acclaimed self-titled CD. Hughes picks, strums and blows (harp) his way through a set of self-penned numbers that highlight his talents as a natural blues songwriter. Some of the influences may be easy to spot, but Hughes always adds an original musical and/or lyrical twist that makes each song his own. The opening track ("All This Time") is a sparse, hauntingly beautiful piece that would make perfect mood music for a western. You could just imagine "All This Time" being played as the camera panned through an empty town in the wild west. Hughes follows it up with a more jazzy piece (a la Lonnie Johnson), "Talking To The Blues," before moving into more instantly recognizable blues territory on "I Feel Like Robert Johnson (Part 2)." The song sounds like a descendant of "Key To The Highway," with Hughes leaning more towards Piedmont rather than Delta blues, something which he pursues further on the ensuing "Big Girl's Blues." He later returns to the Piedmont for an excellent spot of fingerpicking on the instrumental "Low Fat Rag." Hughes is a very versatile performer, able to sing and play in a variety of styles, encompassing blues, soul and jazz. It also makes no difference whether he plays solo or in accompanied (as on four of the tracks here): he is equally at home in both settings. He also has a sharp eye for detail, revealed by his lyrics (check out "TV Mama" and "Silicone City Blues" for observations on modern life) and song titles ("Low Fat Rag"). "Conversations With The Blues" confirms Al Hughes place as a fine blues musician and songwriter, albeit one deserving of wider coverage. Hughes continues to do what he does best, writing good songs, and putting heart and soul into singing and playing them. On his latest CD there is evidence of a few more jazz influences ("Talking To The Blues," "Where White Men Sing The Blues," and "Silicone City Blues") than on his previous self-titled album, but he never strays that far from the blues. All in all, "Conversations With The Blues" is another fine album from Al Hughes that is worth tracking down.