Blind Pig

They may seem an unlikely duo – Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and keeper of The Doors flame, and Roy Rogers, slide guitarist best known for his work with John Lee Hooker – but the pairing is a natural one on this collaborative set. Manzarek always displayed a knack for a good boogie or shuffle ( “Roadhouse Blues,” etc.) and on tracks like “Game of Skill,” “Tension” (with words by the late Jim Carroll ) and the three in a row with the word blues in the title, he and Rogers have ample opportunity to get their jam on. But Manzarek still seems most at home on those tunes with a more ethereal touch – among them “Kick,” a tune he co-wrote with the poet Michael McClure, and the two jazzy instrumentals that close out the program. Rogers, for his part, takes the lead on several tunes but mostly appears content to peel out one wicked solo after another. A particular highlight: “River of Madness,” whose co-writers include the late Warren Zevon.