What a corker - In 1976, after spending nearly 30 years in the music business, Muddy Waters broke with  Chess Records to sign with Blue Sky. Hard Again, his first album on this label. It was produced by Johnny Winter, and it is considered by many to be the finest studio effort of Muddy Waters’ distinguished career. Given the raw edginess of the performances as well as the blues legend’s own rejuvenated intensity It’s an understandable conclusion.

Backed by a band that featured harp player James Cotton, pianist Pinetop Perkins, drummer Willie Smith, guitarists Bob Margolin and Johnny Winter, and bass player Charles Calmese. Muddy seems relaxed from the outset, and the inclusion of some of the exuberant studio chatter gave Hard Again a sense of intimacy. Whether stomping through a thunderous update of Mannish Boy, tearing into the acoustic groove of I Can’t Be Satisfied, or slipping into the slow-burning strains of Deep Down in Florida, the ensemble was on fire, and as a result, Muddy not only regains his momentum but also another level of his remarkable legacy. Recently remastered, Hard Again sparkles with a renewed sense of warmth.