Guitarist Ronnie Earl’s journey has taken him on brief sojourns from pure blues, but on this disc the Boston-based ax man turns back toward his roots. Having long since given up working with a regular vocalist, he stings and swings his way through a batch of straight-ahead blues instrumentals and the swaying gospel number "Mary Don’t You Weep," where he accents the soulful stew cooked up by Boston’s Silver Leaf Gospel Singers. Recorded with his regular band at Wellspring Sound in Acton, the disc is a top-flight blues jam where Earl’s main foil is keyboardist David Limina, who rises to the challenge on tracks including "Hey Jose" and a remake of Hank Marr’s juke-joint rumble "Travelin’ Heavy." Stretching out for eight minutes here ("Blues for Otis Rush") and 11 minutes there ("Blues for the Homeless"), Earl never merely chomps down on chords or shows off his fast and formidable technique — he always tells a feverish, intense story. And whether playing blues or the soul jazz that has been his calling over the past decade, he remains one of the most gripping and distinctive guitarists around.

(Ronnie Earl performs tonight, May 8, and on May 22 at the Sit ’n Bull Pub in Maynard. Call 978-987-7232.)