Sooner or Later

Like several of Hammond's early albums, this 1968 effort would ultimately sound less impressive than it did at the time, simply because the original versions of the ten songs Hammond covered would become much more accessible. The material selected did testify to his good taste, but also stuck to the tried-and-true, including classics like "Dust My Broom," "Crosscut Saw," Sonny Boy Williamson's "Nine Below Zero" and "Don't Start Me Talking," and Howlin' Wolf's "How Many More Years." The title track, a slow Jimmy McCracklin piano tune, is about the least-familiar number on a program that's essentially revamped classic and still rather recent electric (and largely Chicago) blues classics with a very slightly more rock- and soul-oriented groove. Still, it's a lean and respectably hard-hitting electric blues set, comfortably integrating piano and (on occasion) Willie Bridges' saxes into the arrangements.