Various: Big Water

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * )

No, it ain't all dub reggae and horn sections down there in the capital as this collection -- sub-titled "the best of Wellington blues" -- attests.

The line-up is certainly impressive: Darren Watson (formerly guiarist/singer in Chicago Smokeshop), Bill Lake, the Windy City Strugglers (fronted by Lake and Aucklander Rick Bryant who gets a solo spot with his own composition, the BB King-styled delivery of Class), Marg Layton and others less known north of Porirua.

The tracks all come from previously released albums with one exception (Pip Payne's jump jive, big band Rocket to the Moon which makes you hope he tours north soon) and while the blues seems a pretty whitebread affair there are some fine performances here which, with any luck, would prompt a reissue of Bryant's Time album and especially the excellent one he did with Lake, We're in the Same Boat Brother.

(Red Rocks)