In 2013 Rolling Stone’s guitarist Ronnie Wood did a live tribute show to blues great Jimmy Reed. Today that live concert is now available as a live album everywhere you get music from. Mr. Luck — A Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall features Ronnie and friends playing some of his Jimmy Reed favorites. It has been said that Jimmy was a huge influence on the stones.
Asked by Rolling Stone why he did a tribute to Reed, he says, “Everyone talks about Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and Buddy Guy, but Jimmy was simple in his delivery. It’s a bit like reggae music to the novice since it’s like, ‘Well, all the songs sound like they have the same beat.’ They’re all in a similar structure, but all the songs are such different characters in their own way. It’s got the thread that runs through soulful music, whether it’s soul music or not. … I get a thrill listening to the original records, and I feel so proud when I hear my cover versions. I think, ‘So it’s live, it’s a bit rough around the edges, but that’s me.’ And it reminds me of the Faces. We were live and very rough around the edges, and we all loved Jimmy Reed.”
