Blues guitarist Junior Watson once described his playing style as being like "a train off the tracks." That freewheeling, spontaneous quality is what's maintained his appeal for more than 30 years, drawing blues fans to his shows to watch this legend surprise them. Watson is adept at taking his influences liberally from all over--a pinch of Tiny Grimes, a tad bit of Earl Hooker--and blending them together into his own bizarre mosaic, adding a little bit of his own twist to every note he plays. A traditional blues song with Watson at the helm will suddenly morph into an homage to the Twilight Zone theme song or include a scrap of other pop-culture standards, keeping listeners on their toes.

Sadly, Mike "Junior" Watson has remained largely a cult figure in the blues scene over the decades. He's performed with numerous bands that are well recognized among fans, but as a solo performer, he hasn't received the credit he's due. He's most certainly an influence for numerous blues guitarists. He began his career playing with harpist Gary Smith in the early '70s, then joining the Mighty Flyers for 11 years. He teamed up with numerous other blues luminaries after that, then began performing with Canned Heat in the '80s and early '90s.

As a solo artist, Watson has been very, very stingy with new songs. He debuted in 1994 with Long Overdue, which gave new life to the genre of jump blues. But fans would wait a whole eight years before hearing from Watson again. 2002's If I Had a Genie was critically well-received, and showed off more of Watson's penchant for experimentation.

Watson has worked with some of the biggest names in the business during his career, including Big Mama Thorton, George Smith, Jimmy Rogers, Shakey Jake, Luther Tucker, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson and William Clark.