When singer-songwriter Eric Bibb received blues legend Booker "Bukka" White's original guitar from a fan, it was the starting point for his album Booker's Guitar. Let's hope he didn't sell his soul to the devil upon receiving the guitar, but the album has turned out to be a true gem. Bibb (1951) wrote new songs in the tradition of White and his generation, at the same time honoring and rejuvenating the blues. Bibb is the son of singer Leon Bibb and he grew up in the midst of the New York folk scene of the 1960s; Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson frequented his home. Bob Dylan even gave him some vital guitar tips when he was an eleven-year-old: "Keep it simple, forget about the frills." With such teachers it is no wonder he soon abandoned school. Bibb's year-long study of pre-war blues resulted in Booker's Guitar that, according to the critics, is his best album ever.
