`We've got our work cut out for us after those bands," Bonnie Raitt told a crowd nearing the 8,000 mark last night at the Molson Amphitheatre.

Speaking in reference to seperate opening sets by R&B piano legend Charles Brown and Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Famer Ruth Brown (no relation), Raitt did indeed have some work to do.

But instead of being upstaged by her superb tour support, or by pal Whoopi Goldberg, who was reluctantly turning heads in the crowd, Raitt added some soul to her high-gloss blues.

Although this stop came in support of Raitt's current disc Longing In Their Hearts, which was released last year, the singer-guitarist focussed on older works, specifically cover tunes, to fuel her set.

Opening songs Talk To Me and Love Letter found Raitt in top vocal form, though she seemed to goose much of her trademark raunch for a more mainstream effect.

Raitt snuck in some short and sweet slide guitar leads. But until her guitar levels were adjusted, Raitt's playing was buried beneath that of her formidable but bottom-heavy backing sextet.

Still, Raitt pulled it all togethter when she cut to the chase and brought Brown and Brown out for song three, introducing them as "The Adam and Eve of the blues."

Holding her own alongside such hallowed company, Raitt needn't have gone to the back-slapping extent she did in calling Charles Brown "the one-and-only" mid-song. His playing spoke for itself.

ENERGIZED

Energized by this early showstopper, Raitt followed with sharp renditions of Something To Talk About and the reggae-inflected Have A Heart, which showcased her fluency in blues guitar, not to mention George Marinelli's rhythmic six-string support.

Likewise, Raitt's playing prevented a dull Mike MacDonald tune - one of two mediocre tracks added for an upcoming live album - from taking the wind out of her sails.

Backed only by bassist Hutch Hutchinson, Raitt then showed off her loose but languid solo playing with a pristine acoustic version of 1972's Love Me Like A Man.

Oddly, it wasn't until the 10th song that Raitt dipped into Longing In Their Hearts territory with a cover of Richard Thompson's Dimming Of The Day, which she followed with the jaunty Come To Me.

Before returning for a half-hour encore, Raitt ended her set in characteristically up-and-down fashion: On the down side, the tight rhythms of percussionist Debra Dobkin and drummer Ricky Fataar couldn't save an entirely unsuitable and squeaky stab at Talking Heads' Burning Down The House.

Raitt then segued gracefully into the up side, a flawless Love Sneakin' Up On You.

Raitt clearly had the skill, and enough good material, to get away with the odd ill-advised spin on other people's work.

She also had Charles Brown and Ruth Brown.

SUN RATING: 3 OUT OF 5