How much I like Al Cooke! He represents the most pure essence of thirties and forties urban blues Every blues fan in Europe knows the work and path of this Austrian blues pioneer, who began his musical career at the end of the fifties as a rock and rock artist, to gradually become a real performer of pre and post-war great blues tradition, barrelhouse blues and country blues music In this new recording for his usual record label Wold Records, Al Cook has gathered twenty one songs recorded between 1993 and 2008, plus one more song entitled Original Working Man which belongs to his particular collection, which was recorded in 1965 All songs included are own ones, except Roosevelt Sykes’ 44 Blues and Robert Johnson’s Sweet Home Chicago Besides singing, Al Cook plays guitar, dobro and piano, and he does it with the mastery knowledge and feeling he has got during his wide career, He is also surrounded by some experienced guest musicians and friends, like Hans Theessink on mandolin, Axel Zwingenberger on piano (one of the best actual boogie-woogie piano players) or the exceptional voices of Karin Daym, Katie Kern, Reverend Frank TT and finally Siggi Farsi in the song The Birmingham Jam The album represents a declaration of principles of a honest musician who has fight with determination along his whole life to carry blues music to the high place it really deserves