Ronnie Baker Brooks got his first guitar from his father, the legendary Lonnie Brooks, when he was nine years old, joining his dad’s band as a roadie after high school. Watching, listening, and learning during these formative years, the younger Brooks eventually joined his father’s band as bassist before graduating to full-time second guitarist, first appearing on Lonnie Brooks’ live Alligator Records release in 1988.

Through his tenure with his father, Brooks received encouragement from his peers and eventually moved out on his own, where he had recorded several solo albums, appeared at numerous festivals, and produced recordings for other artists. Over the years, he has developed into one of the most exciting live performers, as fans who have caught his shows at the Chicago Blues Festival and the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruises (to just name a couple) can attest.

Blues In My DNA is Brooks’ debut album for Alligator, his fifth overall. Recorded, produced, and mixed by Jim Gaines, this 12-song set includes all original tunes from Brooks (with one co-written by Todd Park Mohr – of Big Head Todd & the Monsters fame) and stellar musical support from a core band of Will McFarlane (rhythm guitar), Dave Smith (bass), and Steve Potts (drums), with guests keyboardists Rick Steff and Clayton Ivey, saxophonist Brad Quinn, and trumpeter Drew White, and backing vocals from Trenicia Hodges and Kimberlie Helton.

The opening track, “I’m Feeling You,” is a tasty mix of blues, funk, and rock that fits Brooks and the band like a glove. While the album does list 12 tracks, one of the dozen is the short (12 seconds) clip of Lonnie giving Ronnie his blessing and encouraging him to “keep these blues alive” before segueing to the title track, a swampy mid-tempo blues with some sweet guitar work from the son that’s reminiscent of the father. Meanwhile, “My Love Will Make You Do Right” has a smooth Muscle Shoals feel, with B3 contributions from Clayton Ivey.

The soulful ballad “Accept My Love” is straight out of Memphis and dedicated to Brooks’ mother, Jeannine Baker, who passed away in 2023. He was inspired by Ivey’s B3 on the song. The gritty blues rocker “All True Man” (co-written with Mohr) is next, followed by “Robbing Peter To Pay Paul,” a great blues shuffle that will definitely strike true for most listeners, and “Instant Gratification,” another rocking blues with a modern twist.

“I Got To Make You Mine” is a solid mid-tempo soul/blues blend that might have included some of Brooks’ best fretwork on the album were it not for the next track, a new version of the splendid slow burner “Stuck On Stupid” (which first appeared on his 1998 debut album), on which the guitarist stretches out in fine fashion. The album closes with the funky blues number “I Found A Dollar Looking For A Dime” and “My Boo,” another solid blues-rock track.

Incidentally, the guitar Brooks played on the album is the same one that his father was holding on his own Alligator debut release, Bayou Lightning, in 1979, minus the lightning bolts.

There’s no question that the blues runs in the family, based on the excellent tunes heard on Blues In My DNA. It’s great to see Ronnie Baker Brooks return to recording after a seven-year absence.

--- Graham Clarke