At 90 years of age and no sign of becoming a Lifeline subscriber, R&B-blues-soul entertainer Bobby Rush became a living legend long ago with his trio of Grammys, including this year’s All My Love For You, 27 studio albums, and eight decades of action-packed performances. Given the acclaim of his more recent output, it’s easy to overlook such gems as 2003s Undercover Lover, which showcases his ability to cover the blues spectrum. On “Tough Titty” and “Undercover Lover,” he’s a colorful, risqué entertainer. As evidenced by “Love Is A Gamble,” he’s also a passionate vocalist, not afraid to pour his heart out. The instrumental rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” features Rush’s expressive harmonica playing, an attribute easily overlooked among his many talents. No matter where the needle drops here, Rush’s charisma is always felt.

Several things are significant about this re-release. It was the debut release of Rush’s Deep Rush Records but never had been available digitally—until now, circa its 20th anniversary. Rush still performs one of Undercover Lover’s songs, “That Thang,” while the title track was active in his repertoire for a long time.

The digital-only version comes with a previously unreleased bonus track, “I’m an Undercover Lover,” not an outtake from the original recording session. Since the actual session files were unavailable, R&B industry heavyweight producer Patrick “GuitarBoy” Hayes extracted Rush’s vocals and recorded himself playing guitars, bass, piano, and keys. A studio drummer, organist and pianist were also brought in to round out the arrangements, thereby scrapping the synthesizer for a more natural, live sound.

Compared to the original CD, this re-mastered reissue has more life, vocal prominence, and crisper beats, rendering its predecessor sonically dull. Worth checking out, even when you are not under the covers.

Bobby Rush