Johnny Rawls is sitting in a garage in Montgomery, Ala., on a hot July morning, waiting for the air-conditioning in his ancient Ford van to be repaired.

It's a situation that would strain the patience of most mortals, but the blues legend's voice was as smooth and laid-back during a recent phone interview as it is on his recordings.

"It's just plain ol' hot," he said in his trademark deep drawl.

He could have been describing his music, which is a steamy brand of blues anchored by Rawls' masterful guitar playing. He likes to call it "soul blues."

"Soul blues is R&B with a gospel twist to it," Rawls said.

That twist is most evident in the singing, which is the heart of soul blues. Think Johnny Taylor or Otis Clay backed up by guitar licks that are slicker than a red clay road after a summer rain. It's sweet, deep soul with a dusting of gritty blues.

Rawls was born in Pervis, Miss., in the heart of blues country. He grew up watching his grandfather, John Paul Newson, play guitar. Rawls' love for music led him to take up the clarinet and saxophone in the third grade.

By the time Rawls was a teen-ager, his band director hired him to play in his band, which backed such legends as Z.Z. Hill and Joe Tex when they played the Gulf Coast. It was strong stuff for such a young man, but it was the best possible education for a future bluesman.

Rawls paid his dues and honed his chops in several different bands during the early '70s, even leaving the South to try his luck in Milwaukee.

All his hard work paid off when he returned to his roots and formed a band with the late, great O.V. Wright. Rawls worked as his bandleader and guitarist until Wright's death in 1980.

After Wright's death, Rawls and bandmate L.C. Luckett kept the flame alive, touring as the O.V. Wright band until 1995.

"You know, I enjoyed playing and coming up with some of the greats, feeding off them," Rawls said from Montgomery. "I was fortunate to be with the best people who ever sang a song."

In 1995, Rawls and Luckett amicably decided to go their separate ways. He felt it was time to take the legacy of O.V. Wright, Johnny Taylor and the other legends who had been his teachers and meld it into something all his own.

The result was his first solo album, "Here We Go," released in 1996 to critical acclaim. The next year, Rawls produced a follow-up, "Louisiana Woman," which is as smooth and tantalizing as a thick slice of French silk pie.

After 30 years of playing and touring, Rawls hasn't slowed down a bit. The 47-year-old father of three feels like he's just getting started.

Rawls is very familiar with the stage at Dave's CC Club, having played there so often it's starting to feel like home to him.

"(Dave's) reminds me of when I first started out playing as a teen-ager," Rawls said. "It's held its heritage. It's a wonderful place for an R&B singer to sing."

For club owner Dave Claytor, the feeling is mutual.

"Lord have mercy, he makes the sweetest soul music out there, period," Claytor said. "He's a master bluesman and a master soulman, and he's one of my favorites."

When Rawls isn't burning up blacktop between blues clubs, he's working in the studio. He produced Whigham, Ga., native Johnnie Marshall's debut album, as well as releases by contemporaries like Arkansas gospel bluesman Lonnie Shields.

Acting as a mentor and producer for new young blues artists is a labor of love for Rawls. He's always on the lookout for fresh talent.

"I just discovered another young guy, George Boone, in upstate New York," he said.

"It's very satisfying. I guess it's just a natural thing that God blessed me with."

Between the touring and the producing, it's a wonder Rawls has time to work on his own music. But he's about to release his third solo album in as many years.

"I just let the adrenaline flow (in the recording studio)," Rawls said. "It's a feeling thing."