Tim Brough's Black Leather Bookshelf

After being in seclusion or something for almost 20 years, Steve Miller steps out of his time capsule for "Bingo," a celebration of old fashioned frat-party blues. Frankly, I am surprised at just how much I enjoy this CD. It's nothing earth shattering, nothing as transcendent as his seminal 70's output, just solid playing, good singing, polished music with a sense of groove that can't be beat.

In fact, Miller himself takes a backseat for the bulk of the disc's singing. he didn't write any of the songs, which are a collection of blues tunes old and new. One of his most effective moments on the album is when he plays vocal foil on "Tramp" to singer Sonny Charles. It's funky and funny, and a "Bingo" highlight. That kind of vibe permeates the album, be it the party-starter of "Hey Yeah" to the hand clapping "Ooh Poo Pah Doo" that ends it, and you get a guitar slingers album that gets better each listen.