VARIOUS ARTISTS

Chicago Blues A Living History

The (R)evolution Continues

Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson, Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Magic Slim, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Zora Young, Mike Avery & more

Raisin’ Music RM 1004

By Tim Holek

The previous 2009 Grammy-nominated release Chicago Blues: A Living History paid homage to Chicago blues – from its history and originators, to current artists carrying on the tradition and the music’s singular place in the (r)evolution of 20th century American music. Artists who played with the original Chicago blues pioneers were gathered together with artists who bridged the gap between those early icons and today’s scene. The (R)evolution Continues resumes the tribute to Chicago blues with another double CD set that emphasizes the enormous and ongoing influence that the city’s past masters, along with today’s artists who are following in their footsteps, continue to wield on music everywhere. 

            According to the 36-page liner booklet, this CD “covers the early piano-driven Chicago blues of the 1940s through to the classic electric-guitar-and-harmonica-driven period of the 1950s. It further emphasizes the shifting away from the classic Chicago blues sound towards the music that would become rock ‘n’ roll.”  

            The main attraction is: Billy Boy Arnold (harmonica), Primer (guitar), Branch (harmonica), Lurrie Bell (guitar), and Carlos Johnson (guitar). These featured artists are exemplary and have long and prolific careers as both sidemen and solo artists. They are augmented by The Living History Band: Billy Flynn (guitar), Matthew Skoller (harmonica), Johnny Iguana (keyboards), Felton Crews (bass), and Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith (drums). Google any one of them and you’ll find some serious blues resumes.  Let’s not forget special guests Ronnie Baker Brooks, Zora Young and Magic Sam’s cousin, singer Mike Avery, plus legendary guests Buddy Guy, James Cotton, and Magic Slim. Larry Skoller and brother Matt produced the music.

This two CD 23-track set is a good selection of well-known classics (e.g., Bo Diddley’s Mellow Down Easy) and obscure songs (e.g., Be Careful How You Vote by Sunnyland Slim). It is not another rehash of the best of Chess Records. Primarily, it is a collection of covers with two original songs thrown into the mix. The impressive liner notes include a brief history of each song and who performs on them. For the most part, the songs are sequenced by the year of their original release -- the track order, however is not strictly chronological.

As with the first Living History collection, the songs hardest to improve upon are the most recent tunes in which the original versions are still too freshly etched in mind to warrant a cover version. A case in point is Ronnie Baker Brooks covering his dad Lonnie’s song Don’t Take Advantage Of Me from 1983. Perhaps one of Lonnie’s earlier songs would have been a better choice.

For real deal Chicago blues that are still being recorded and performed today, it doesn’t get any better than Yonder Wall by Billy Branch.  Ain’t Enough Comin’ In is performed in a minor key by Carlos Johnson and it’s brilliant.  Johnson utilizes a less-is-more approach on guitar that’s truly impressive. Lyrically, Ronnie Baker Brooks’ original song, Make These Blues Survive, reveals exactly what this CD is about. A blues history lesson is contained in the vocals while a raucous guitar delivers the melody.

            On the opening track, 1942’s He’s A Jelly Roll Baker, Billy Boy Arnold’s vocals are as smooth as ever, even if they are laid back and lack energy. It’s a simple melody but Billy Flynn’s jazzy guitar and Johnny Iguana’s rolling piano rollicks “good down deep in my soul, just like Maxwell House coffee.”  Tampa Red’s I’ll Be Up Again Someday from 1946 is more commonly known as Sitting On Top Of The World. On it, Arnold’s vocals are not super memorable but the shuffling drums, barrel housing piano and retro-sounding guitar return you to an era of Chicago blues that has long passed away. Arnold’s harp tone is almost as good as his mentor’s – the original Sonny Boy – on John Lee Williamson’s She Don’t Love Me That Way.

 Muddy Waters’ Canary Bird is not typical of Primer’s usual style (he played guitar in Muddy’s band in during his final years).  However, Primer’s brilliant, inimitable guitar sound is stamped on Chicago Bound to the point where the Jimmy Rogers song could be mistaken for a Primer original.

 On Stockyard Blues, Lurrie Bell’s guitar is sweet, sad, lonely, ailing and healing -- all at the same time. Often cited as the song that gave birth to rock’n’roll, Rocket 88 is a highlight courtesy of Branch’s commanding vocals. Both James Cotton and Branch’s powerful harp honkin’ and tweetin’ give a bluesy a twist to the original melody.

Buddy Guy updates First Time I Met The Blues which he first recorded in 1960. Here his voice is as sweet as honey, but the flurry of notes picked on guitar become repetitive and predictable, making the song feel like it lasts longer than its 5:56 minutes. Magic Slim delivers trademark gruff vocals, raw sound and energy, and a sharp, cutting guitar that stings on Keep A Drivin’. Vocally, Avery sounds hauntingly like his famous cousin on Easy Baby.  Be Careful How You Vote, belted out by Sunnyland Slim protégé Zora Young, is a butt-kickin’ tune where Iguana’s piano rocks like a storm-tossed ship. Carlos Johnson’s exquisite guitar sounds unique on Somebody Loan Me A Dime when compared to the rest of the songs. The ongoing love-hate relationship between Chicago and its artists is played out on Lurrie Bell’s original Got To Leave Chi-Town. The song is dedicated to his late father, blues harp great Carey Bell, with help from his one-time apprentice Billy Branch. The heralded disc closes with The Blues Had A Baby (And They Named It Rock And Roll) by the King of Chicago blues, Muddy Waters, and the rendition practically features the entire ensemble.

Chicago blues has never sounded better then or now. With this well-thought out collection, you get to hear the music progressing and transitioning as it moves through various stages across the decades. For those not familiar with these important songs from the past, this is a great way to discover them. Thanks to the talented artists on this CD, all of whom deserve greater recognition, Chicago blues remains a potent living tradition.

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