Title: Friend Like Me

Artist: Steve Howell & the Mighty Men

Label: Out of the Past

Formats: CD, MP3

Release date: November 20, 2015

The blues can make one dance, shout, and cry, but it is not often that they make one relax. This is exactly what Steve Howell accomplishes on Friend Like Me, his fifth release. Joined by his band, The Mighty Men, Howell revisits songs by the likes of Bukka White, Charly Patton, the Grateful Dead, and many more. These artists have been Howell’s collaborators, mentors, and inspirations throughout his 40-year career, which is most associated with his time in Shreveport, Louisiana and Texarkana, Texas. Friend Like Me is a mature and laid-back release, more focused on tasteful performances and musicianship than an animated delivery of the acoustic blues.

Reviewed by Douglas Dowling Peach