You can almost see the beads of sweat form on James Cotton’s forehead as he leads the way through these 13 songs—basically written to celebrate his life—on Cotton Mouth Man. And what a celebration this is. Now closing in on 80, the protégé of Sonny Boy Williamson is the pied piper of blues, leading his backing musicians, guest artists and vocalists through a series of steamy, sweaty, Southern blues tracks. From the hoot of the train whistle on “Midnight Train,” with Gregg Allman, to the lazy, hazy mouth organ tones on “Mississippi Mud,” with Keb Mo’, to the urgent whine that mingles with Ruthie Foster’s
dark, lush vocals on “Wrapped Around My Heart,” there’s no denying Cotton’s still got it—and then some. “The blues is all about feeling,” Cotton, who played with everyone from Janis Joplin to Muddy Waters, wrote in the liner notes. “If I don’t feel it, I can’t play it. My hope is that everyone who listens feels it.” “Superharp” makes sure of it.