McClain sings soul with incredible power – he knows when to pull the punches and when to cool it down. "Give It Up to Love," the title track, acknowledges his gospel roots; he performs it as a vocal prayer to God asking for wisdom, love, and strength. Bruce Katz's contributions on B-3 Hammond organ expands McClain's sound, particularly on the "Green Onions"-influenced "What You Want Me to Do." The sparsely effective arrangement on "Here I Go Falling in Love Again" brings McClain up front as he cries of being a soul stripped to the bare bones. Kevin Barry's funky bass blows while McClain declares himself as a child of God in "Child of the Mighty Mighty".

Influenced by blues greats such as Muddy Waters & John Lee Hooker, Joe Beard exhibits genuine talent on Dealin'. Beard has a respectable fan base mostly concentrated on the East and West coasts of USA.

This has well-presented variations of old-style blues, from acoustic ("Dirty Groundhog"), to slow burners ("Elem"), to Chicago/Muddy Waters style ("Who's Using Who"). Duke Robillard graciously acts in his role as a team player, although he stands out with a hip solo on "If That's What Pleases Her." Portney's harp on "She's Wonderful" is slow and easy, reminiscent of a hot summer's day in the country.

All those young up-and-comers who think they know how to sing R&B and soul should really get themselves a dose of Mighty Sam McClain. The man waited years to record any albums (though there were a few singles in the 1960s), but it's been worth the wait. Blues for the Soul is McClain's first for Telarc Records, and it's a near-perfect debut. The slower, lazier songs are ideal for the heat of summer, but one could just as easily imagine listening to McClain in a dark, smoky nightclub in November.

It has been said that instrumentalist Bruce Katz has one foot in jazz and the other foot in the blues, but those aren't the only styles that interest the organist/pianist; rock, soul, and gospel are also part of what he does.