Speaking louder than the associations and the history and tradition of blues mandolin is the music these men created. The infectious, swinging groove of "Moaning and Groaning" opens the set and it's one of the tracks where Young's mandolin is right out front. In addition to some great mandolin work from Young, Oscher is commanded to "blow" at the first break and he delivers some fantastic harp. Later on the track, and throughout the record, Young calls out to Spann and stands aside for one of the pioneering blues pianists to take center stage.

When playing alongside Muddy Waters, Spann sometimes sounded like he was playing with his fists and not his fingers. The power in his playing is something special. On these numbers, he occasionally dials that down just a notch. As great as Young's mandolin work is, it's pretty clear that Spann is holding these sessions together (in fact, it was at his suggestion Blue Horizon recorded Young in the first place). Spann got plenty of work as a bandleader during his time with Waters, and that leadership is evident on these tracks. It is made more evident by his absence on "Prison Bound."

Other standout tracks include "Jackson Bound," mistakenly referred to as "Chicago Bound." The liner notes tell us this cut is actually a version of John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson's (the first Sonny Boy Williamson) "Shotgun Blues." Regardless, it's a great track. It starts off with a false start and even sounds a little tentative when they begin but slowly pick up steam as they play, culminating in a great piano run by Spann followed by Young's mandolin. "Lorraine" doesn't have quite the swing of "Moaning and Groaning" but there's such a great feeling on the track and Young's work is top notch. This is also a track where Leary's fine drumming is invaluable.

The care with which this set was assembled also speaks volumes about the quality its musical contents. Mike Vernon has done a tremendous job researching these sessions — even uncovering mistakes in the recording dates — and his love for the music being presented is evident. The liner notes are well written, the packaging glossy, and the mixes and masters are excellent. The digital presentation of the record is crackles, probably a little more than the original mixes presented on analog. Some audiophiles will prefer those but the clarity and muscle on the Complete CD is not without its virtue.

In the liner notes to Hundt's Since Way Back, he says "I know blues mandolin is new to many blues fans... I hope the record encourages them to seek more blues mandolin and to seek more live music in general." Listening to Hundt's record and hearing him cover Young in concert made me hungry to do just that, and now I hope I can in turn encourage all of you to do the same thing. The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions is an excellent place to start. I guarantee you won't stop there. Ask me how I know.