Lucky Peterson: Lucky Peterson

Guitarist-keyboardist Lucky Peterson doesn’t spare the wah-wah pedal on his self-titled Blue Thumb Records debut (Blue Thumb 314547 433-2; 52:37). From the opening funk-blues number, Ernie Isley’s “Deal With It,” to smoking renditions of Earl King’s shuffling “Seduction” and Johnny Guitar Watson’s nasty “Ta’ Ta’ You,” he lays on the wah-wah with sweet vengeance. Lucky breaks out his signature Hammond B-3 organ licks on “The Otherside,” an energized rendition of Sam Cooke’s “Shake” featuring The Late Night Horns and on Timmy Thomas’ ’60s pop-soul classic “Why Can’t We Live Together.” He wails with six-string bluesy abandon on “Tribute to Luther Allison,” then turns up the R&B heat in a searing, soulful vocal duet with labelmate Joe Louis Walker on Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away.” Another highlight is a jazzy instrumental take on Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe,” in which Lucky pulls out all the stops on B-3. A serious triple threat.

Originally Published January 1, 2000