Joe Cocker was fresh off his historic Woodstock performance back in 1969 when he assembled a sprawling group of backup musicians led by a young and slightly mad Leon Russell. That tour became legendary and the resulting album titled Mad Dogs And Englishmen was one of the better live releases of the Seventies, as it captured the energy and spontaneity of the tour.

Cut to 2015; Joe Cocker had recently passed away, and as a tribute Leon Russell (since deceased) assembled the Tedeschi Trucks Band and as many survivors from the original tour as he could find, including Rita Coolidge, Dave Mason, Chris Stainton, Pamela Pollard, and Claudis Lennear, and added some new faces such as Warren Haynes, and set out to recreate the tour and album at the at the Lockn’ Festival during 2015. The resultant performance and album, Mad Dogs And Englishmen Revisited: Live At Lockn’ is a sophisticated and modernized version of the original. The energy and musicianship place it among the better live albums of its era.

The playing by the Tedeschi Trucks Band and Warren Haynes—none of whom were part of the original Mad Dogs ensemble—is impeccable. ‘The Letter,” “Delta Lady,” “Bird On The Wire,” and “Space Captain” take on new textures and layers that were missing on the originals. On the other hand, signature Joe Cocker numbers like “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” and “With A Little Help From My Friends” miss his vocals. Without Cocker, some of the songs are just too perfect, and thus lose some of their original appeal.

The deeper cuts provide their own delights. “Let’s Go Get Stoned,” “Girl From The North Country,” “Bird On A Wire,” and “The Weight” all benefit from crisp guitar play and new and varied vocal arrangements. Additional guests contributing include Doyle Bramhall II, Dave Mason, and Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.

Through it all, Leon Russell provided excellent leadership as ringleader of the modern-day version of Mad Dogs And Englishmen. For him, this is a labor of love, which shines through. In a way, it connected his past with his present and brought his life full circle. An excellent modernization of a classic album.

Rating: A-

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