''Hidden Charms'' is a blues album by Willie Dixon, released in 1988 on Bug/ Capitol Records. It won a 1989 Grammy Award.

Production

The album was produced by

T Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...

. The band was made up of

Cash McCall ''Cash McCall'' is a 1960 American romantic drama film in Technicolor from Warner Bros., produced by Henry Blanke, directed by Joseph Pevney, and starring James Garner and Natalie Wood. The film's screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee and Marion H ...

and Burnett on guitars,

Sugar Blue Sugar Blue (born James Joshua "Jimmie" Whiting, December 16, 1949, Harlem, New York City) is an American blues harmonica player. He is probably best known for playing on the Rolling Stones' single " Miss You", and in partnering Louisiana Red. ...

on harmonica,

Red Callender George Sylvester "Red" Callender (March 6, 1916 – March 8, 1992) was an American string bass and tuba player. He is perhaps best known as a jazz musician, but worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Cr ...

on bass,

Lafayette Leake Lafayette Leake (June 1, 1919 – August 14, 1990) was an American blues and jazz pianist, organist, vocalist and composer who played for Chess Records as a session musician, and as a member of the Big Three Trio, during the formative years of Chic ...

on piano, and

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of a ...

on drums. "Study War No More" was cowritten by Dixon's grandson.

Critical reception

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' wrote that "the band is excellent - rootsy and tough but not overpowering - and, while Dixon's hardly a mesmerizing singer, his gruff grandfatherly voice has a plaintive soulfullness that suits his more recent songs." ''

The Kingston Whig-Standard ''The Kingston Whig-Standard'' is a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is published five days a week, from Tuesday to Saturday. It publishes a mix of community, national and international news and is currently owned by Postmedia. It ha ...

'' wrote that "Leake's unique playing is alone worth the price of the album." ''

The Rolling Stone Album Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' called the album "a solid if unspectacular outing." '' Paste'' deemed it "a collection of overlooked Dixon gems."

Track listing

All tracks composed and arranged by Willie Dixon; except where indicated #"Blues You Can't Lose" 5:44 #"I Don't Trust Myself" 4:23 #"Jungle Swing" (Willie Dixon, Leonard Caston) 5:27 #"Don't Mess With The Messer" 7:10 #"Study War No More" (Willie Dixon, Alex Dixon) 4:33 #"I Love The Life I Live (I Live The Life I Love)" 3:11 #"I Cry For You" 4:40 #"Good Advice" (Willie Dixon, J.B. Lenoir) 5:13 #"I Do The Job" 6:22

Personnel

*Willie Dixon - vocals *

- electric guitar, National Steel resonator guitar, harmony vocals, associate producer *

- dobro *

- bass *

- piano *

- drums *

- harmonica ;Technical *Rik Pekkonen - recording, mixing *Larry Hirsch - additional engineer *Nancy Meyer - project coordinator *Marc Norberg - front cover portrait

References

{{Authority control 1988 albums Willie Dixon albums Albums produced by T Bone Burnett Capitol Records albums