by Thom OwensHello Blues is Floyd Cramer's attempt to play the blues in his own distinctive, "slip-note," style. Of course, the laid-back tempos and gentle arrangements of all the music on the album mean that it never sounds as gritty or down-home as the best country blues, but that isn't the point of the record -- Hello Blues is a pleasant collection of bluesy easy listening, not a blues record, and taken on its own terms, it's entertaining. The CD reissue including four bonus tracks, which are not necessarily "blues:" "Sentimental Journey," "Red Roses for a Blue Lady," "Mr. Lonely," and "Love Letters."