Delmark Records has just released a wonderful career retrospective on one of great musicians of our time and space.

Dave Specter is a first-rate guitarist who has delighted audiences for decades with both his virtuosity and versatility. Yet, it is his impeccable taste that won this fan over many years ago. Specter has made spectacular choices throughout his 30-year association with Delmark Records. This two-disc, 28 song retrospective speaks to all of this.

Six String Soul features Specter accompanying a long list of very accomplished vocalists such as Barkin’ Bill Smith, Jesse Fortune, Otis Clay, Tad Robinson, Lynwood Slim and others. These performances are all first rate. They sit beside instrumentals which showcase the jazzier side of the blues. This spectrum of Specter’s muse represents some of my favorite recordings of his career.

The only track that has never been presented on any of the fourteen albums during Specter’s long association with Delmark, is the 2020 digital release entitled The Ballad of George Floyd. Here he is joined by Billy Branch who blows harp and trades vocals with Specter. This song conveys the sensitivity and urgency that this subject matter demands.

The entire album has been remastered by Julia A. Miller at Delmark’s Riverside Studio in August, 2021. In doing so this package has been elevated to more than a greatest hits recital. Even though Six String Soul shows a definitive career arc, the songs hang together in a very cohesive fashion, thanks in no small part to Miller’s contribution to the project.

The recording and discographic information on Six String Soul are intelligently laid out. The entire presentation is in chronological order. The recording notes not only include all the musicians present on each track, but the album from which the selection originally appeared.

Six String Soul: 30 Years on Delmark can serve as a nice primer for those music fans who are new to the music of Dave Specter. For long-time fans of his music, I believe that this package will be just as enjoyable. It is like taking a pleasant stroll through some familiar terrain with a brand-new pair of shoes. Six String Soul: 30 Years on Delmark is a welcome addition to our library here at the JUNCTION and an album that I highly recommend.

- David Mac