Handy Man

Personnel: Bobby Rush (harmonica); Vernon Morrison (guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming); Vasti Jackson (guitar, keyboards, programming); James "Hot Dog" Lewis (keyboards).
Audio Mixers: Jon Rowland; Danny Jones.
Recording information: Jimi's Int'l, Miami, FL; Jim's Int'l, Miami, FL; Taylor Made, Jackson, MS.
Photographer: Ambrose.
Arrangers: Vasti Jackson; Vernon Morrison.
Like any of Bobby Rush's '90s recordings for Urgent! and Ichiban, Handy Man is a pretty good album that draws from Chicago blues and Southern soul equally. Rush gives some good performances which carry the album through some lame original songs and flat, synth-laden production, complete with robotic drum machines. Of course, this holds true for almost any of Rush's albums, which means you've got to take what you can get, and here you get a couple of good songs balanced by a lot of filler. And Rush fans should be used to that by now. ~ Thom Owens