Ah, autumn in New Orleans. Hurricane season is over, the dizzying summer heat subsides, and for music fans, the clubs start hoppin’ and fall CDs hit the stores.

Former Clifton Chenier guitarist and Breaux Bridge native Sherman Robertson has just released Goin’ Back Home, his debut for the Audioquest label. Robertson’s made some deserved inroads on the national blues circuit in the last few years; his first two CDs, I’m The Man and Here and Now, presented Robertson in a Robert Cray-like light, but Goin’ Back Home finally captures Robertson’s live power, where he’s more inclined to fire off pyrotechnics worthy of Buddy Guy or Freddie King. There’s also heaping amounts of elastic Texas twang (“Special Kind of Loving”), and percussive Louisiana rhythm parts (“Fall in Love”).

The backing band deserves a heap of credit for giving Robertson the support to fulfill his creative vision. These guys are heavyweights—Little Feat’s Bill Payne on keyboards and Ritchie Hayward on drums, John Fogerty’s bassist Bob Glaub, and Joe Sublett of the Texacali Horns—but the session doesn’t come off as slick or forced. Besides his solid originals, Robertson tackles a few cool covers, reviving Johnny Copeland’s “Me, My Guitar and the Blues” and Albert King’s “Don’t Throw Your Love on Me So Strong.” Robertson’s playing maintains an aggressive edge throughout the CD, but he never falls into the soulless speed-solo showboating that plagues so many of his rock-blues peers.

One of the most pleasant surprises at this year’s JazzFest was Natchitoches bluesman B.B. Majors. You could close your eyes during his set and swear you were hearing vintage B.B. King from the mid-60s, when King was cutting supple, funky albums with a horn section for ABC Records. So it’s a pleasure to report that Majors’ recent CD Evil Woman/Evil Ways lives up to the promise shown in his live performance. Majors’ playing and singing unfold with luxurious ease: like King and T-Bone Walker, Majors follows the classic formula of robust vocals alternated with concise guitar fills and well-crafted single-note soloing. And all of his material is original. (Memo to New Orleans clubowners: this man deserves a shot at proving himself on local stages.) If you have a hard time finding Majors’ CD, write to: Cane River Disc, 102 Corrine St., Pineville, LA, 71360. For further info, call (318) 487-2021 or (318) 379-2790.

On the reissue front, Hip-O Records has just released two landmark Louisiana blues albums on CD. Singer and guitarist Lightnin’ Slim’s 1960 LP Rooster Blues was the very first release from Excello Records, the label responsible for creating the timeless “swamp blues” sound. The title track hit #23 on the R&B charts, and paved the way for a slew of artists that utilized the echo-drenched sounds of producer J.D. Miller’s studio in Crowley, LA.

The always-entrancing and idiosyncratic Slim Harpo’s 1961 Excello Records debut, Slim Harpo Sings “Raining in My Heart,” was the third release from the label, and established Harpo as a bonafide hitmaker, thanks to singles like “Got Love if You Want It,” “I’m a King Bee,” and the title track. With Lazy Lester’s harmonica playing providing accompaniment, these songs are instinctive and intense moments of inspiration.

What’s revelatory about these reissues—and immensely refreshing in this age of endless best-of compilations—is the opportunity to hear the albums in their original form. Yes, each CD has a couple of bonus tracks, but it’s a treat to revisit such influential music in its entirety, just as it went down in the studio. Neither album sounds dated in the least bit, and here’s hoping Hip-O continues to mine the Excello catalog with its deserved reverence.

October looks like a particularly cooking month for live blues. Friday Oct. 2, Mississippi bluesman R.L. Burnside brings his guitar boogie to the Maple Leaf, and Corey Harris returns to the Leaf the following night. October 4-11, Baton Rouge will be jam-packed with blues for Baton Rouge Blues Week. Each day features a different headliner at different venues; selected highlights include the Neal Family and Friends on Oct. 4 at Casino Rouge from 2-6 p.m.; on Oct. 7, James Johnson and Rudi Richard (Slim Harpo alumni and Baton Rouge legends) at Neal’s Restaurant and Lounge; Bryan Lee in a rare Baton Rouge appearance at Phil Brady’s on Oct. 9; Earl King makes his first local appearance since JazzFest ‘98 when he headlines the Varsity Theater on Oct. 10; and Rockin’ Tabby Thomas with special guest J. Monque’ D wrap it all up at Blockbuster Music (I-10 at College Dr.) from 2-6 p.m. on Oct. 11. For more info, call (225) 383-0968 or (225) 383-0964. For info over the internet, check out www.louisianasmusic.com.

Kenny Neal makes a rare appearance at the Maple Leaf on Oct. 9, and that same night, Tip’s Uptown presents Texas music night, with Marcia Ball and Long John Hunter. We already know Marcia’s talents, but Hunter deserves special mention: this 63-year old guitar slinger is one of the blues’ great showmen, and a criminally underrecognized guitarist in Texas’ rich blues guitar legacy. From 1957-1970, Hunter held down the gig as house band for the Lobby Bar in Juarez, Mexico, entertaining raucous crowds that crossed the border into a town teeming with vices. Today Hunter still blazes through shuffles and Gulf Coast R&B with scary authority, and Alligator Records has just reissued his 1992 “comeback” album Ride With Me. This is a must-see show.

Stavin’ Chain plays Vic’s Kangaroo Cafe on Oct. 10. Brint Anderson brings his six-string chops to Le Bon Temps Roule Oct. 15. Oct. 16, Cyril Neville presents piano man George Rossi and the Shuffling Hungarians, plus John Carey at Tipitina’s French Quarter. Thursday Oct. 22, Tip’s French Quarter features South Louisiana legend and monster blues six-stringer Lil’ Buck Senegal (of Clifton Chenier fame) makes an appearance with his own band. Chris Thomas King brings his acoustic blues to Kerry Irish Pub on Oct. 29. And John Mooney & Bluesiana wrap up the month on Halloween at the Maple Leaf. Thursday, October 15 at the Maple Leaf, NYNO’s Raymond Myles, known for his spectacular gospel work, will play a special show featuring exclusively R&B.