# My Soul Is Blue by Johnny Dollar (4)
Johnny Dollar (4) emerged from the Chicago blues scene during a period when traditional electric blues was facing declining commercial interest. Despite the challenging landscape of the early 1980s, Dollar remained committed to authentic Chicago blues traditions, maintaining the gritty vocal style and guitar-driven arrangements that defined the genre's golden era.
My Soul Is Blue, released on Isabel Records in 1982, represents a straightforward blues album that eschews contemporary production trends in favor of raw authenticity. The record showcases Dollar's dedication to classic blues formulas, with seven tracks that demonstrate both his vocal prowess and understanding of blues tradition. The album opens with "Oh Baby," a moderately paced number that immediately establishes the record's no-nonsense approach. "Doctor Feelgood" follows at over six minutes, allowing space for extended instrumental passages typical of Chicago blues.
The standout track "All Your Love" appears as the third selection, offering a tighter, more focused composition before the album moves into deeper material. "Blind Man" stretches past five and a half minutes, building atmospheric tension through its narrative lyrics and deliberate pacing. Side B opens with the energetic "Going Down," which serves as the album's most uptempo moment. The extended instrumental showcase "Driftin'" reaches eight minutes, providing ample room for guitar and harmonica interplay. The record concludes with "That's The Way Love Is," a reflective closer that reinforces Dollar's thematic preoccupations with relationships and hardship.
While My Soul Is Blue never achieved widespread recognition, it remains a solid representation of committed Chicago blues craftsmanship from an artist working within established traditions.
