{"id":97,"date":"2008-06-12T08:33:24","date_gmt":"2008-06-12T12:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/2008\/06\/nrgizing_blues\/"},"modified":"2011-04-28T16:34:42","modified_gmt":"2011-04-28T20:34:42","slug":"nrgizing_blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2008\/06\/nrgizing_blues.html","title":{"rendered":"Good time blues"},"content":{"rendered":"

B.B. King<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0played coy at the 25th annual Chicago Blues Festival last weekend. “I won’t say what party I’m for,” the great vocalist and guitarist began, in obvious reference to local resident Barack Obama’s ascension to Democratic presidential nominee, “but everybody has something to be happy about now. Including the women — who found out ‘Yes, we can!<\/a>‘” Few other of the hundreds of performers were even that explicit onstage, but the fest reportedly drew 750,000 listeners over four days, and the music projected a general air of triumph against daunting odds.<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n


\nMaybe it was the fact that the crowds appeared\u00c2\u00a0on the fest’s last day despite major thunderstorms\u00c2\u00a0to hear B.B., an 82-year-old diabetic who still sings with affecting power and can wrench a thrilling sound from the pluck of a single note on his guitar Lucille<\/a>. Or the roaring squall of\u00c2\u00a064-year-old albino\u00c2\u00a0guitarist Johnny Winter<\/a>, frail looking though he is,\u00c2\u00a0joined by 73-year-old harmonicaist James Cotton<\/a>. Or the\u00c2\u00a0soaring sound of Lil’ Ed and\u00c2\u00a0the Blues Imperials<\/a>, cavorting \u00c2\u00a0on Grant Park’s Petrillo Music Shell stage. The moxy of returned-from-retirement Little Willie Littlefield<\/a>, 77, entertaining a huge audience with only boogie-woogie piano stylings and voice in a tradition that dates back to Jelly Roll Morton<\/a>. The warmly seductive style of guitarist-singer Barbara Lynn<\/a>; the antics of ageless Sugar Pie De Santo<\/a>, whose silver lam\u00c3\u00a9 beret stayed on her head as she ended a song with somersaults, the heartfelt wail of guitarist-singer Jimmy Johnson<\/a>, the mellow retro vibe of Otis Taylor<\/a> with a troupe including New Orleans\u00c2\u00a0banjoist\u00c2\u00a0Don Vappe<\/a>, the duck-walk and behind-the-head guitar-picking of elegantly white-suited Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater<\/a>. The hard-work ethic embodied by harmonicaist Billy Branch<\/a>, performing both at the fest and afterwards at the Blues Heaven Foundation, set up by the late Willie Dixon at the old Chess Records Studios<\/a>. The idea that an overwhelmingly white yet all-ages audience embraces the bedrock grit and proud gumption of America’s African diaspora culture.<\/p>\n


<\/div>\n
Whatever the reasons, there was little hint of blues fatalism at the Chicago blues fest, but rather a feeling of triumph. That may have been momentary: No denying the blues musicians don’t every weekend enjoy the attentions of vast audiences milling around six free stages and a talks-tent (at which I moderated a discussion on the broad legacy of centenarian singer-songwriter-bandleader-alto saxist Louis Jordan<\/a>, with his widow Martha, AACM saxophonist Ernest Dawkins<\/a>, guitarist-singer-songwriter Lonnie Brooks<\/a>, author Bill Milkowski <\/a>and record producer-broadcaster Bob Porter<\/a>). But among the many lessons of the blues is when good times arrive, grab ’em. The 25th annual Chicago blues fest was a good time, and a lot of attendees there are hoping for more, even better, yet to come.<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n

Subscribe by Email or RSS<\/a>
\n All JBJ posts <\/a>
\n