Christian Collin makes the grade with breathtaking precision on his latest album "Spirit of the the Blues." Rock with an explosive blues fare is what Christian has always delivered. This time out Collin rocks it up with a selection of soul blues from Jackson, Mississippi, tied end-to-end with Memphis style R&B, all wrapped up in hard-as-steel rockin' lead guitar and slide the way it was done in Beaumont, Texas, by the great Johnny Winter some 50 years ago. It's clear that Christian Collin has paid his dues. With a red hot back-up singer, a tightly tooled band, and lots of tasty harp playing, Christian Collin has combined razor sharp guitar licks right out of the west side of Chicago, into something new. Serve it up with some tasty ribs and sauce and you are ready for a mighty fine barbeque. All of this is really no coincidence at all--it's the side of the street that rock n' roll came from in the first place. That along with songs that make the cut every time out, "Spirit of the Blues" should raise more than a few eyebrows. There's a rarely achieved sense of authenticity on this album that screams out the best in "American Music," the kind that's placed on a pedestal around the world, from Europe to the Pacific Rim. Just take a listen to this premier collection of blues and rock that Christian Collin has so masterfully managed to cook up on "Spirit of the Blues." With screaming guitar work, killer vocals, catchy hooks and lyrics that stick in your head, this is how blues can really rock when it's done right. George Seedorff Rock Critic, Blogger and Editor-in-chief of The Music Review Siren