Bobby Rush - Hoochie Man (2000)

Bobby Rush may have cut his teeth on Chicago's West Side playing alongside Luther Allison and Freddie King, but throughout his career, he's opted to forgo a traditional blues sound in favor of a more risque contemporary delivery. The Louisiana native's millennial offering is no different, as he mixes in enough synthesizer flourishes and polished beats for HOOCHIE MAN to occasionally dip into contemporary R&B rather than a straightforward blues offering. Among the highlights are the chugging "Feelin' Bad" (with echoes of Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" in its delivery), swinging instrumental shuffle "Scootchin'," and the chicken-scratch funk of "Beat Me Rockin'."

In addition to being an economical guitarist and a solid harmonica player, Rush is a gifted storyteller whose signature trait is his matter-of-fact way of half-singing/half-telling a story. The best examples include the sublime tale of cheating "Bare Mouth Woman," and the upbeat raunch of "I Like It." HOOCHIE MAN turns out to be another triumph by a cult hero looking to change the sound of a pretty straightforward genre.