LIVING BLUES review of Coach House Blues
Issue #144 MAR/APRIL 1999
Chicago guitarist “Diamond” Jim Greene fits handily into the contemporary African-American acoustic blues movement that continues to invigorate the genre. Greene proves a highly adept slide player and powerful singer on his domestic debut (he previously had an album released in Holland on Black Magic). Working mostly solo, Greene displays a sure feel for seminal pieces by Blind Willie McTell, Robert Johnson and Tampa Red. But it’s his originals–the unusually constructed “Watching You”, a harrowing “Full Moon,” and a vivid “The Blindman” (detailing his childhood encounter with street singer Blind Arvella Gray, to whom the CD is dedicated)–that bode well for Greene’s future. (P.O. Box 940, Evanston, IL 60204) –BD
