John Miller & my turntable/CD player go back a long way - to when his first vinyl album on Blue Goose was on a good stockist's shelves. That first album blew my mind & I immediately went back to the store & bought his 2nd album. Apart from enjoyment of all his work - his imaginative & superb arrangements (both in guitar playing & vocals), whether playing roots blues - to the multitude of other avenues he has explored, has greatly influenced my own playing of guitar & other instruments. He stands head & shoulders above contemporaries & could quite reasonably (if from an earlier period)be considered amongst 'legendary league' John's modest personal profile is admirable - his music continues to be unspoilt perhaps by this front. This album is as magnificent & in mood of his early albums - but check out the albums in between if you are fortunate enough to find a supplier. Er, look no further CD Baby can be relied on to get the goods to you. Thanks John for your music - and answering in person my emails to you. Thanks again CD Baby

A lovely collection of old chestnuts, hand-crafted as only John Miller can arrange and perform them, plus some very nice new originals as he returns to his roots in country blues. Each nuance and every phrase receives the Miller touch; no note is inconsequential. Terrific album art again, too. Splendid.

When you think about what goes into making such an album -- the knowledge of the original music, the technical ability to translate that knowledge into interesting arrangements with soul -- you realize what a great musician and guitarist that John is. He's pulled it off again, and given us an entertaining set of country blues tunes in his own simple-instrumentation-right-in-your-livingroom style. Buy it!

I\'ve been a fan of John Miller since I picked up \"First Degree Blues\" when it first came out in the early \'70s, so it\'s no surprise that John Miller\'s latest CD continues his tradition of excellence. John has a very deep and broad knowledge, understanding and appreciation of traditional American music, and as a player he is always a pleasure to listen to. John has covered a lot of musical ground since \"First Degree Blues\" was released, and everything that has been a result of his musical journey merits the listener\'s attention. The performances on \"This Old Hammer\" are for the most part John\'s interpretations of songs that have become standards in the canon of what we refer to as American roots music. The spark of his individual creativity puts a personal stamp on these tunes. For anyone who enjoys traditional American music performed by a modern master, I highly recommend \"This Old Hammer.\"