"Shake a Hand: Great Piano Blues by the Louisiana & Chicago Legend, finds Gray in usual top form on recordings taken from a half-dozen club dates and a studio session during two European tours in 1995 and 1996. Backed by a small combo of sympathetic players, Gray barrels through 17 well-chosen covers and strong originals ... Gray was arguably at the top of his game both instrumentally and vocally ... With a first-rate production quality that places his commanding piano and impassioned vocals front and center, confident backing, and a solid playlist, Shake a Hand stands as a fine testament to Henry Gray's extraordinary legacy as one of the great piano players of postwar blues".