Mud Morganfield is the now-middle-age son of late blues icon Muddy Waters. Former turban-styling frontman of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Kim Wilson is considered one of premier blues-harmonica players on the planet. As the title indicates, together Wilson and Morganfield have recorded an impressive tribute to Waters.

Surprisingly or not, on an initial listen, one can’t help hearing Morganfield’s uncanny and haunting vocal similarity to his old man. Likewise, Wilson dead on recycles the harmonica styles of both Little Walter and James Cotton, who provided the bedrock for Water’s sound for nearly two decades.

Wisely, it was decided to avoid rehashing Water’s hits and instead concentrate on recording lesser-known classics. The result is that For Pops should knock the socks of just about all seasoned blues fans and a few new ones, too. Highlights on this 14-track CD are numerous—the driving “Trouble No More,” “I Don’t Know Why” (with Wilson’s superb chromatic harp accompaniment), the quirkily timed “I Want You to Love Me,” the sex-charged “She Moves Me,” and one of Water’s best compositions, “Blow Wind Blow.”

Really, depending on one’s familiarity to Water’s vast catalog, each listener will likely choose their own favorite tracks. Fidelity wise, some listeners might bristle at the lack of bottom throughout, as the vocals and harp are way up in the mix. However, that was Water’s original sound, as his classic Chess recordings were all recorded in one-track mono.

If you got ’em, dust off one or two of Water’s 45s or 78s and do the comparison test. You’ll find that For Pops passes with flying colors. Outstanding release.