Gatemouth Brown has come full circle. The Texan launched his recording career back in 1947 with a big band behind him; more recently, first with 1997's Gate Swings album and now this follow-up effort, he's again achieving transcendence alongside a large ensemble. Brown remains a marvelous guitar picker, adding poignant commentary to the broken love plaint "Guitar in My Hand" (his update of a tune from 1947). He reacts to the horn and rhythm sections with taut, witty, jazz-inflected responses on swinging treatments of Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and the Kansas City blues-jazz anthem "Jumpin' the Blues." Oh yes, Brown has tremendous command of guitar textures--declarative, subdued, greasy, sensual, prickly, and more. He's an expert fiddler too--note "Rock My Blues Away." And he shows considerable individuality and wisdom as a singer, waxing plaintive on Percy Mayfield's "Strange Things Happen" and assuming a devilishly matter-of-fact attitude for his Lone Star State shuffle "Without Me Baby," where singer Kaye Doran adds to the fun. In all, "American Music, Texas Style" (also Brown's favorite description of the music he plays; don't ever call it "blues"!) is yet another triumph for the cantankerous bandleader. --Frank-John Hadley