Dion DiMucci has made great records since the big labels stopped caring back in the ’60s, but lately he’s been given the chance to really display his talents on a consistent basis. Last year’s Son Of Skip James and 2006′s Bronx In Blue harkened back to his days at Columbia, when he was cast as a folk singer with a decided blues flair. This time out, DiMucci pays tribute to the great rock ‘n’ roll artists with whom he shared stages on the giant revue shows of the 1950s.

There aren’t many 69-year-olds who can deliver the exuberance of Buddy Holly’s “Rave On”, the sexuality of Gene Vincent’s “Be-Bop-A-Lula”, or the sheer swagger of Dion’s “The Wanderer”. That’s right, he covers himself as a worthy member of the pantheon which also includes Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, Bo Diddley, Eddie Cochran, and more.

Dion has lost none of his punch as a vocalist, and he clearly loves this material. There’s a crack band featuring lead guitarist Bob “Crew” Richardson, who apes the sound but only rarely the specific lead licks of Cliff Gallup, Scotty Moore, or the other players on the originals. It’s no easy task to capture the spirit of these rock ‘n’ roll masterpieces while making them sound as if they haven’t been played a million times over the last 50 years. Giants Of Early Guitar Rock gives off the type of delights Dion must have experienced standing in the wings of those concert-hall stages with his peers half a century ago.

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