Pinetop Perkins

Pinetop Perkins

Ladies Man (M.C.)

"What say, Mr. Perkins?" asks Marcia Ball at the opening of "Pinetop's New Boogie Woogie." Her throaty question receives an "um hmm" and an ivory reply as the two estimable pianists go key-to-key. To call this album Ladies Man is no joke since the nearly 92-year-old Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins continues rolling a glad eye to the ladies. In fact, he's invited a passel of famous femmes to help him out. Just listen to Deborah Coleman's smokin' "Meanest Woman," Odetta's sultry "Trouble in Mind," Madeleine Peyroux's jazzy "He's Got Me Goin'" and Ruth Brown, so sexy crooning "Chains of Love" with Pinetop at her side. Elvin Bishop cuts in on "How Long," while Perkins goes solo for "Big Fat Mama," "Kansas City," and "Chicken Shack." From stints with Earl Hooker and Robert Nighthawk to these twilight years, Perkins' rollicking touch on the 88s lives eternally. And leave it to Angela Strehli to sum it up on "Hey Mr. Pinetop Perkins" with, "Every time you bat those big ol' peepers, the girls fall in love with you!" Yes, we do.