BOB STROGER & KENNY "BEEDY EYES" SMITH

Keepin' It Together

Big Eye Records

By James Porter

        You can tell when a band is led by the rhythm section. The groove is that much tighter. The bassist and the drummer might show a little more "flash" than usual, but if they know their business, they never overpower the rest of the band. Bassist Bob Stroger and drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith have been MVPs on the blues scene for many years now, holding down the bottom for many a veteran on the Chicago blues panorama. With the release of Keepin' It Together, the two men are now standing directly in the spotlight, a place where they both deserve to be.

          The 12-song selection features originals, plus one cover. While neither the credits nor the liner notes state who penned what, it is evident that Smith, the younger of the two men, seized the opportunity to pay tribute to his elders. His late father, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, played drums behind Muddy Waters for several years, and the younger Smith gives him his propers with the affectionate "In My House," which tenderly recounts what it was like coming up under the older man's wing. The one non-original, "Old Woman Sweetheart," even has Kenny and Bob singing along with one of Willie's recordings (not as gimmicky as you'd think - I wouldn't have guessed without reading the liner notes!). Kenny even pays sly tribute to Bob; "He Took Her" refers to the fact that the elder Stroger evidently stole young Smith's lady, which has to be the most flattering tribute of all ("how can that be? he's older than me!"). Stroger, for his part, gets a few turns at the microphone himself, sounding like an older, droller version of Smith.

        A team of veteran Chicago players back up the illustrious duo: Barrelhouse Chuck pounds the 88s, Joe Filisko and Jerry Portnoy blow harp, Billy Flynn, Frank Krakowski and Kevin Iles play guitar, Brian Leach is on bass (when Stroger isn’t) and Sam Burkhardt contributes a bit of saxophone on this traditional blues album.

          If you want to hear how a band of experienced musicians can successfully feed off of one another, Keepin’ It Together is a prime example of expert ensemble playing. Musical chemistry gets no better than this.

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