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In the mid-1980s two giants of Texas blues guitar, Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland, collaborated with then rising star Robert Cray on Showdown, one of that decade's most acclaimed albums. Almost 20 years later co-producer and chief songwriter Bruce Feiner admitted that Triple Fret's main inspiration is that CD. Triple Fret, like Showdown, is not a competition but a collaborative celebration of the current state of electric guitar blues. It was no easy task (then or now) assembling a creme de la creme of contemporary blues guitarists who are veterans but whose best music is ahead of them. Bernard Allison's pedigree is unquestionable, Carl Weathersby was mentored by Albert King, and Larry McCray is a genuine blue-collar guitar hero. Any doubts concerning those chosen will dissipate after you hear the first few strains of the opening track, Blues Man, a muscular mid-tempo funk bio with McCray and Weathersby sharing no-nonsense vocals and aggressive solos. Despite the overall joint effort, each guitarist has a distinctive spotlight track. Allison surprises with the salacious Take It Slow, a perfect blend of radio friendly Southern rock a la Lynyrd Skynyrd and J.B. Hutto's sinewy Windy City slide. Weathersby confronts the inevitable demise of a relationship as he cuts her loose on Ain't Nothing but the Truth, a swaggering wake up call with biting Albert King-styled licks as well as an extended fleet-fingered organ solo by Lucky Peterson (who is also featured on the funky jazz organ instrumental Where's Lucky'), and as his guitar wails with regret, McCray goes deep on the lugubrious ballad, I'm Praying for You, about good love gone bad. Two tunes feature the full trio with vocals and solos by all: the rollicking anthem of love and libation, Bottle of Whiskey and the ironic Don't Tie Me Down that is part lament and part warning, and all rock-ribbed blues. Three of the best guitarists on planet Blues are at the height of their powers on Triple Fret.