Album Review: The Jeff Healey Band - Live at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern 1993

While he’s most widely known for his 1988 cover of John Hiatt’s classic, “Angel Eyes,” Jeff Healey possessed a talent that was at once eclectic and expansive. Indeed almost seven years after the blind musician’s death at 41, it’s unlikely that even Healey’s most ardent fans have yet to appreciate the full extent of his artistry. 

Adding a bit more perspective to the overall picture, so to speak, Live at the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern 1993 (Eagle Records) finds the JHB delivering a potent set heavy on electric blues and juke-joint-friendly rock ‘n’ roll. While with a stunning pair of love songs (“You’re Coming Home” and, of course, “Angel Eyes”) Healey summons a warm and tender respite amid the otherwise raucous selections, with scorching versions of The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues,” The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and B. B. King’s “The Thrill is Gone” he brings the band to maximum boil.