This whole Live at Montreux series is pretty amazing. They really have put the effort into creating some choice live DVD’s of some stellar performances. This is one of the better ones in the series, though. What can you really say about Jeff Healey that hasn’t already been said? The man is an incredible force in modern blues and that just can’t be denied. The performance captured here simply reinforces that fact. The video and audio on this DVD are really top notch, making it a win-win proposition. Another thing that they’ve been doing with some of these lately is to include a CD of the performance. It’s a great touch and they do that here. They also add in several tracks from Healey’s 1997 showing at the festival (not on the audio CD). All in all, if you are a fan of Healey or just of modern guitar blues (and if that’s true why aren’t you a fan of Healey?) you can’t miss this one. It’s a winner all the way around.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.