Johnny Rawls may have been born a few years too late.

A couple of decades ago, the guitarist might have parlayed his gritty, alluring vocal delivery and concise, stinging guitar work into national soul stardom. His resume is impeccable; the Mississippi-born Milwaukee resident led the bands of O.V. Wright and Little Johnny Taylor before setting off on his own (he debuted in partnership with L.C. Luckett on a 1995 Rooster Blues CD). As it is, Rawls is a delightful reminder of the days before soul and blues were mutually exclusive.

Rawls’ JSP encore is a carefully crafted package loaded with attractive soul efforts (co-written by Rawls) that showcase his pipes quite effectively. That’s Why I’m Goin’ Away, I Been Broken Hearted, and the plaintive ballad Can’t Stop Thinkin’ ‘Bout You surge along over steady grooves laid down by a Chicago rhythm section anchored by keyboardist Roosevelt “Mad Hatter” Purifoy and spiced by the three-piece Nutmeg Horns. Clearly, Rawls is at his best on simmering mid-tempos — Lucy, one the album’s more upbeat entries, is its only weak link, weighed down by banal lyrics. Even when performing a stray straight blues shuffle - the relaxed Back in Your Arms - he manages to veer into R&B territory before the song’s end. Rawls’ blues/soul synthesis is seamless.

— Bill Dahl