Eric Burdon & the Greenhornes: Self-titled EP

Thank you, more please. Not only is this four-song EP a tantalizing tease, but the successful pairing (not to mention Robert Plant’s folk reinvention) begs the question why more aging artists don’t team up similarly? Whatever ego it cost, Burdon’s found talented sympathetic players in blues rockers the Greenhornes - the trio’s rhythm section backs Jack White in the Raconteurs, while Raconteur Brendon Benson conceived of and produced the pairing. Three of the cuts are terrific, including the slow-burning psych-tinged organ blues of “Black Dog,” and the grimy Chicago blues of “Can You Win” where Burdon’s pipes shine knee-deep in Muddy guitar. The easy highlight is Burdon’s off-beat, Klezmer-flavored portrait of an Iraqi “Cab Driver,” which offers an insightful, if somewhat humorous, take on American freedom. (4 out of 5 stars)