Emergency Situation

Rod Piazza began his career in the mid-'60s as a Young Turk who, like plenty of young rockers of the day, was putting his own stamp on the blues. Almost 50 years on, Piazza is a seasoned veteran who is still paying homage to the vintage sounds that first turned his head around, and on his 15th solo album, 2014's Emergency Situation, Piazza is still showing how much he learned over the years from the masters. Piazza's powerful, overdriven sound, clearly modeled on Little Walter and George "Harmonica" Smith, is as distinctive as ever, and the most exciting moments here are the ones where Piazza cuts loose and wails with his band, blowing gale-force solos on numbers like "Neighbor, Neighbor" and "Colored Salt." Piazza is an effective ensemble player, too, and his band is in solid form here, especially guitarist Henry Carvajal, sax players Ron Dziubla and Jim Jedekin, and pianist Honey Alexander, as they split the difference between Chicago blues and vintage R&B.