Thanks in part to the province of Alberta’s Foundation of the Arts, I dare say that the Duke Robillard sub-section in the blues section of your favorite CD shop might well be the largest of any contemporary artist going. The New England guitarist has all but created a cottage industry of his own CDs. Despite being prolific, all his releases are pretty damn good and his latest—with Monster Mike Welch in tow—doesn’t disappoint. The opener “I Wouldn’t-a Done That” is a finger-poppin’, Jimmy Reed/Eddie Taylor shuffle where Duke, in no uncertain terms, tells his woman she shouldn’t-a have leaped before she looked the night before. [iframe src=”https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:album:6N2jhjhocUxtvlgnvJnx5s” width=”300″ height=”380″ frameborder=”0″ allowtransparency=”true” class=”spotify-right”]Buy on AmazonBuy on iTunesA another highlight is the clever “Below Zero,” which isn’t at all a weather report, but rather the credit report as it pertains to most folks these days (particularly in these parts), set to a chugging Maxwell Street beat. “Patrol Wagon Blues” features an early Dixieland sound/arrangement but doesn’t really fit in with most of the other tracks here. Being that Robillard and Welch are both acclaimed blues pickers, there are several instrumentals in the mix, the best perhaps being Gatemouth Brown/Albert Collins influenced “Stapled To the Chicken’s Back” where Robillard and Welch swap punishing guitar licks over a swinging bass, organ and drums accompaniment. Two strong tracks wrap Independently Blue up neatly. “Groovin’ Slow” is rather slinky as the song’s title pretty much sums up its intent. “If This Is Love” is recycled from one of Robillard’s early (mid-1980s) Rounder albums, but this version seems more betta for some reason. A lot to like here, folks.