Illinois Entertainer April 2018 | Page 18

By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates BLUES REVIEWED Mud Morganfield C hicago is filled with blues progeny who tackle the complicated task of carrying the torch for their famous parents. Being living caricatures is no way to sustain a blues career; the most successful blues scions meld history with creativity and Mud Morganfield has proven to be the most skilled at this. A striking embodiment of his legendary father, Mud established his career as the closest link to Muddy Water’s sound and spirit. But with his latest release, They Call Me Mud (Severn), he conjures up fertile space between the past and today. He wrote 10 of the CD’s 12 tracks, with two dutifully honoring his dad. The result is a record that touches on ‘50s and 60s blues and soul as well as funk- driven contem- porary ma