Review: 'Mr Luck-Ronnie Wood And The Ronnie Wood Band A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall'

Ronnie Wood

By Mike O’Cull

Rolling Stones and Faces guitarist, Ronnie Wood flexes his blues muscles on his new live release Mr Luck – A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. Set to drop September 17th, 2021 via BMG, the record contains 18 live tracks of Jimmy Reed material recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in 2013. Wood and his fantastic band, which just so happens to include former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor, have the time of their lives getting down on Reed’s classic blues sound and are supported by guest spots from Bobby Womack, Mick Hucknall and Paul Weller. The set is the second installment in Wood’s intensely personal trilogy of live albums that pay tribute to his lifelong musical inspirations. The first part, Mad Lad, celebrated the songs of Chuck Berry, another of Wood’s heroes. Between that and this new effort, we get to experience some of the building blocks that stacked up into Wood’s incredible career.

Ronnie Wood is, of course, one of rock music’s legendary guitarists known for his decades of work in The Rolling Stones and his time in the group Faces with vocalist Rod Stewart. He also played bass in The Jeff Beck Group. He’s a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with the Stones and Faces, a remarkable visual artist who created the cover of this album, and an instinctive raconteur who has won three Sony Radio Personality Awards. He’s one of the most famous and important musicians in rock history and is still doing his part to keep the music going in the 21st Century.

After a short, solo intro piece called “Essence,” Wood leads the band into a rollicking version of Reed’s tune “Good Lover” that features Mick Taylor on lead guitar. Wood’s guitar and gravelly vocals take center stage, however, supported by the swinging rhythm section of drummer Dexter Hercules and upright bassist Dave Green. Wood’s enthusiasm for Jimmy Reed’s music is apparent from the get-go and that deep connection is what propels this entire show. Reed’s slow blues “Mr. Luck” is up next and gets way down into the classic Chicago sound that Reed helped to create. Wood has an outstanding touch on this type of vintage material and his guitar and vocals are on point. Mick Taylor adds his own six-string heat to the proceedings, as well, and he makes a cool counterpart to Wood.

“Ain’t That Loving You Baby” jumps and sparkles with life as Wood and his cohorts give it everything they’ve got. It’s great fun to hear Ronnie front the band after so many years of hearing him in the context of the Stones and Faces and he’s more than able to command the spotlight. He has the crowd jumping by this point and there’s no holding back. Paul Weller (The Jam, Style Council) guests on guitar and vocals on “Shame Shame Shame,” one of Reed’s most famous cuts, and helps Wood rock the house even harder.

“Big Boss Man” finds Wood teaming up with the late Bobby Womack (Sam Cooke, Joe Tex, Aretha Franklin) and the two musical lifers set Reed’s song ablaze. Through this entire set, Wood and his band stay true to the sound and soul of Reed’s eternally viable songs and never turn them into the sort of heavier rock and roll played by the Stones. It’s a pleasure to hear them done so well by players who clearly love them. Be sure not to miss Wood’s takes on “Bright Lights Big City” and “Baby What You Want Me To Do.” Mr. Luck – A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall is a superb record that shows a side of Ronnie Wood we’d like to see more of. Give it a spin and get to rocking!

Listen to “Baby What You Want Me To Do” Feat Mick Taylor