Pin Your Spin

Bonnie Raitt fans have long been familiar with Jon Cleary's funky keyboard work and have often been privileged to see the man open her shows with his band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen--one of the greasiest aggregations on the planet. Cleary's previous outing attempted to capture this live magic in the studio, but managed to merely hint at it. For this recording the British ex-pat wisely adds a little modern studio gloss to tunes like "Agent 00 Funk" and "Oh No No No." This way, instead of inevitably paling beside the group's intense live shows, Pin Your Spin offers something new: an equally down and dirty recorded experience that borrows from today's hip-hop studio techniques without sacrificing any of the group interaction that makes this band so special. Having lived in New Orleans for two decades, Cleary is steeped in that city's second-line tradition, but he is equally influenced by the moody groves of '70s Miami soul. "Caught Red Handed" brings these roots to the fore. Elsewhere Cleary demonstrates the well-rounded musical chops, soulful singing, and terrific songwriting that caused Raitt to deem him "The Ninth Wonder of the World." --Michael Ross  more