Living in the Danger Zone (1991)

Between 1973 and 1985, guitarist Son Seals released five powerhouse albums of gritty, elemental blues. But for the past six years, because of a falling-out with his record company, Seals has gone largely unheard outside his hometown of Chicago. Living in the Danger Zone is an intense comeback, packed with searing, inventive guitar. On ''I Can't Lose the Blues,'' Seals takes the commonest of riffs and gives them new life by packing in extra notes and odd little accents, while on ''Arkansas Woman'' he grabs hold of each phrase and patiently toys with it, squeezing out tiny, fluid variations. This album isn't a complete killer — Seals' workmanlike vocals don't match the flair of his guitar — but the solos alone are worth the price of admission. B