A friend sent me a CD that he thought I would like from a band in Austin, Jerry Lightfoot and the Essentials.

I was not familiar with Lightfoot, only knowing that he was a guitarist from around the Austin area. His CD, called Better Days (Age Out Records), is an incredible display of his talents.

Lightfoot wrote most of the songs on this CD and they seem to have an autobiographical edge (he writes in the liner notes of "seemingly being dealt hand after hand of dog-eared aces and eights," and the recording is dedicated to the memory of his father and son).

Lightfoot is also a fine guitarist and singer, but he has some excellent company in the vocal department. Carolyn Wonderland and Tommie Lee Jackson sing powerful backing vocals on one track each, and Maryann Price sings lead on the closer, Blind Willie McTell’s "God Don’t Like It."

But the ace in Lightfoot’s hand is the presence of the legendary Jerry LaCroix (former lead singer for Edgar Winter’s White Trash, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Rare Earth) on five of the ten tracks. LaCroix is simply one of the best singers out there, and it’s a crime that he’s not better known.

The entire CD is great, but LaCroix's soulful presence lifts the whole project up a notch. When he sings, "I Will Forever Sing the Blues" on one of the many great tracks here, you hope he’s not lying.

I have a different favorite track every time I listen to it, but two of the standouts are "My Dyin’ Days," where LaCroix just oozes pain and hurt, and the hard-driving "Never Get Caught Again," one of Lightfoot’s vocals with Wonderland backing.

The only complaint I had was that it wasn’t long enough, but that just leaves you wanting more. Let’s hope better days (and more CDs) are ahead for Jerry Lightfoot.