French bluesman Jean Jacques Milteau delivers an earthy tribute to a city steeped in the "tradition" on Memphis. Recorded at Royal Studio in the city in question, Memphis features Milteau's muscular harmonica along with such blues luminaries as Mighty Mo Rodgers, Little Milton, and Mighty Sam McClain. Whining and growling through such stellar original tunes as the second-line funk of "Bon Ton Cafe" and the driving Motown-sounding title track, the real revelation here is how Milteau and company reinterpret pop tunes as blues. Rodgers turns Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" into a rustic and soulful plea, while Milton gives Sting's "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" an ominous edge. This is mainstream blues at its best. ~ Matt Collar