It was with more than a touch of sadness that I heard of Jeff’s passing in 2008. Taken at such a young age, he would have been just 43 this year and, from a personal standpoint, his music was something that had grown with me, as I only found my own musical ‘feet’ in the mid-1980s and his remarkable guitar playing was something that moved me incredibly from the outset.

The Jeff Healey Band lives on, although its Canadian-born leader and master musician is no more and listening to ‘The Legacy - Volume One’ carries a touch more poignancy than some commemorative albums. Blind from just eight months old, Jeff eventually succumbed to cancer but, rather than dwelling in his infirmity, he became one of the world’s most renowned performers, famous for laying his guitar in his lap to play it. Although a life-long aficionado of jazz, he was not averse to playing in the blues-rock style for which he gained most acclaim, or even delving into popular music from time to time, charting infrequently with some great singles, although his album sales were always much stronger.

As you can imagine, The Legacy is a superb collection of two music CDs and a DVD, which will have enormous appeal to collectors and fans alike. The first CD contains his hits, some of the best sounds he was involved in and also some genuine rarities, such as See The Light, Angel Eyes, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Lost In Your Eyes and Stuck In The Middle With You, several of which involved collaborations with other artistes such as George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Gerry Rafferty. The second CD is a mix of both live and unreleased works by the band, most of which will have you melting into your sofa as you listen to their stunning delivery.

Finally, the DVD is a collective ‘rock-umentary’ of interviews, behind the scenes moments, rare footage and live performances from around the world. They document the band’s 18 year history and include several additional collaborations, such as those with Shiela E, Dave Edmonds, Tina Turner, Keith Richards and Clarence Clemons. Eric Clapton was a fan, as was Stevie Ray Vaughan and their fascination with the stellar performances of Jeff Healey is plain to see.

A fine collection of a stunning artiste’s work that will remind you of the immense capabilities of a blues-rocker from Toronto.