Deeper in the Well DixieFrog Records ***

Authenticity is central to the authority of anyone who sings the blues, or so the argument goes. Presumably, that is why Eric Bibb sometimes struggles to light critics' fires despite an impressive back-catalogue. Born into a New York African- American family 60 years ago, Bibb grew up surrounded by the liberal elite, so his love of country-blues might seem strange. Yet Bibb has persevered with his soft-shoe mix of the traditional and his own songs, although the track Music lays bare his frustration: "'Cos music is more than rules or tradition/ I'll play what I want, don't need no permission." Few will quibble with this line-up of songs and musicians, not least the fiddle playing of Cedric Watson and Grant Dermody's harmonica. Apart from a superfluous cover of Dylan's The Times They Are a-Changin', the music is driven by good-natured Cajun swing and an innate love of music. ericbibb.com JOE BREEN

Download tracks: Dig a Little Deeper in the Well, Sinner Man