The third home run in a row for an artistically revitalized Johnny Winter, 1986's THIRD DEGREE follows 1985's SERIOUS BUSINESS and 1984's GUITAR SLINGER as a stripped-down, no-nonsense serving of Texas-style blues rock. As on its predecessors, the emphasis here is on the blues side of the equation, with Winter originals and a sterling choice of covers fighting for equal time. The covers are exemplary, far better than the usual rote homages found on so many blues albums. Elmore James' classic "Shake Your Moneymaker" sounds so fresh it's almost as if Winter and his backing trio, featuring the Otis Spann-style playing of pianist Ken Saydak, are making the song up out of whole cloth. Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "Broke and Lonely" and the Muddy Waters title track are equally impressive. Of the originals, "Tin Pan Alley," with the great Dr. John sitting in on piano, is the clear highlight, though the sassy, Fabulous Thunderbirds-like "I'm Good" is nearly its equal.