*** John Primer

KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR

(Telarc)

Hard but loose -- that's how the urban blues comes across best, and that's how long-time Chicago veteran John Primer has delivered it on a handful of excellent but unheralded CDs on different labels. The foundation of his Telarc debut is his rough-hewn vocals and his soulful, natural guitar lines, though the backing of harmonica ace Mathew Skoller plus brothers Larry (guitar) and Steve (drums) McCray contributes mightily. Primer is a Mississippi native who took that well-traveled route to Chicago, working with Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Magic Slim before delivering his own direct and funky blues. Here Skoller squeezes a smooching sound out of the harp on "Kiss of Fire," and Primer's guitar grooves climb steadily to high peaks on "Hard Working Woman." Covers include Jimmy Rogers's beautifully understated lost love lament "That's Alright" -- but every tune is carried along by an ensemble as reliable and powerful as an old Chevy. The unassuming appeal of this release and others from Primer owes much to producer Mike Vernon, who's quoted to advantage in the liner notes: "If a song has anything to say, it should be able to say it in four minutes -- and the rest is packing."

-- Bill Kisliuk