Barry Levenson feat. Johnny Dyer - Hard Time Won (2003)

Veteran blues guitarist Barry Levenson wrote all 11 selections for Hard Times Won, which co-stars Johnny Dyer on vocals and harmonica. The music ranges from lowdown Chicago blues to swinging jazz/blues with Mike Thompson's organ giving a soul-jazz feel to some of the instrumentals. Levenson's lyrics are intelligent, there is a surprising amount of variety on the songs even though they do stick to blues, and the musicianship is excellent. Levenson and Dyer in particular make for a great team, and the results are often exciting and are always quite spirited. This highly enjoyable set should appeal to both blues and jazz fans.