A blessing of feeling, this "Ready Now", new album from Jimmy Hall filled with eleven titles as good as each other. Despite the passage of time, Jimmy's voice remains precise and powerful as on the first day of the mythical Wet Willie Band. This disc shows a striking example where the emotion is very present from the opening with the boogie "Jumpin' for joy", which as its name suggests jumps for joy. A great moment of sensitivity dedicated to Duane and Gregg Allman with "Dream Rease", which Jimmy Hall composed with his son Ryan Hall. The heavyweights of the neck are present on this nugget, with Warren Haynes for a good hair-raising slide on the admirable title album "Ready Now", as well as Joe Bonamassa in a triple role: he produces with Josh Smith this CD where he co - wrote five tracks, and let whine his euphoric guitar on "A Long Goodbye", a landmark track composed by Jimmy Hall and Jeff Silbar, also covered by the Marshall Tucker Band on their album "Face Down in The Blues" in 1998, also as by the Brothers of the Southland in 2009 and Dixie Tabernacle in 2012 on the opus "Nashville Swamp", with the participation of Jimmy Hall. Blues-rock guitarist Jared James Nichols gives a good solo on "Without Your Love". The bass-drums rhythm section is composed of Michael Rhodes and Greg Morrow, keyboardist Reese Wynans is also in the round. This opus is in the image of its very successful cover where Jimmy Hall sits enthroned, harmonica in hand, in a clearing of cactus where an impeccable musical youth reigns thanks to the swift singing of this great "songwriter", saxophonist and harmonist for this album. A music that recalls the refinement of great southern musicians like Eddie Hinton and Delbert Mc Clinton.

Jacques Dersigny, translation Y. Philippot-Degand