Old School

Though he’s primarily known these days as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band or as Neil Young’s reliable sidekick, Nils Lofgren once had a successful career with his group Grin and as a solo artist. So it’s with considerable authority that Lofgren settles into this vibrant collection. Legendary singers Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), and Sam Moore (Sam & Dave) guest, but Lofgren himself is dominant. The touching ballad “Miss You Ray,” for Ray Charles, could also be a tribute to his fallen bandmates Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici. “Ain’t Too Many of Us Left” (with Moore) cranks up the electric fire as Lofgren refuses to go quietly. “60 Is the New 18” further proves that age doesn’t mean slowing down, and Rodgers and Lofgren evoke their barroom beginnings with the slide guitar blues of “Amy Joan Blues.” Cowritten with Root Boy Slim, “Let Her Get Away” is a passionate ballad that’s close to Celtic in spirit.