Throughout his career, has always been considered a bluesman, which is true enough, since the basis for everything he does has been the , but he is not a traditionalist at heart, and he has always looked for ways to push the into new places and shapes. Adding at times rhythms and sensibilities that are drawn from , , and other genres, practices a kind of hybrid that is his alone, and he has been a huge influence on newer artists like and . This collection derives from the five albums he recorded with during the 1990s, and overlaps somewhat with , released in 2000. Highlights include his version of ' a take on 's and an atmospheric reading of Among the most interesting tracks here are the ones penned by himself ( ), each of which demonstrates aptly the singer's melting-pot approach to the . ~ Steve Leggett