Chicago Blues: A Living History - The (R)evolution Continues

Chicago Blues: A Living History - The (R)evolution Continues
2011, Raisin' Music

Chicago Blues: A Living History, is more than the ultimate blues tribute band.  The GRAMMY nominated act combines two generations of Blues masters in honor of the originators of the Chicago sound that birthed pop and rock n roll.  Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell and Carlos Johnson were indoctrinated into the Chicago Blues scene, coming to live and breathe its sounds and attitudes as if born this way.  The band's 2009 self-titled debut album not only received a GRAMMY nod, but also two Blues Music Award nominations and several international awards.  On June 7, 2011, the band returns with The (R)evolution Continues, with guest appearances from Buddy Guy, James Cotton, Magic Slim, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Zora Young and Mike Avery.

Where the classic strains of "Jelly Roll Baker", the R&B stylings of "I'll Be Up Again Someday" or the early rock n roll of "Chicago Bound", The (R)evolution Continues has something for everyone.  "Diamonds At Your Feet" has a pure rockabilly feel that is sharp and fresh, and "Rocket" threatens to blast off and take the roof with it.  Even Chuck Berry gets a stylistic nod with "Reelin' And Rockin'", one the most purely entertaining numbers on the entire collection.  Bo Diddley even gets his props on the medley of "Mellowdown Easy" and "Bo Diddley".

The difficult with a collection of this sort is the history that sits behind it.  The blues has such a rich history; is so very much a part of the fabric of American pop culture in the second half of the twentieth century, that there is no way to do it complete justice.  Chicago Blues: A Living History makes a fair attempt, however, surpassing even the zeitgeist of their self-titled original.   "Keep A-Drivin'" proves that neither the blues nor rock n roll is dead yet, while "Easy Baby" marries the blues and soul in a perfect union you won't be able to resist.

Shades of Motown work their way in to "Yonder Wall", forecasting the sound that would take root in the motor city, courtesy of Chicago, and grow into something new.  "Be Careful How You Vote" is an entertaining bit of blues-based rock n roll that is as poignant as it is fun.  Its good advice, and great listening, no matter how you cut it.  Chicago Blues: A Living History brings the funk on "Don't Take Advantage Of Me", an incredibly catchy blues rocker you won't be able to get out of your head.  "Ain't Enough Comin' In" mixes blues and soul, ala Robert Cray, in a number very apropos for tough economic times.  "Make These Blues Survive" has a distinctive modern edge, and acts as a great setup for the classic story-teller style of "The Blues Had A Baby (And They Named It Rock N Roll)".  It's a not so subtle reminder of where we came from musically, with a sound as vibrant today as it was in the late 1940's and early 1950's when the roots of rock n roll were aligning themselves.

The history of the blues runs rich and deep in the cultural soil of America.  Chicago Blues: A Living History makes sure that those roots will never be neglected, by showing just how integral the blues has been to a popular culture that continues to evolve.  The (R)evolution Continues seems likely to be a critical favorite, likely to repeat as a GRAMMY nominee, and perhaps even win this time around.  If you've always meant to acquaint yourself with the Blues, The (R)evolution Continues won't teach you all you need to know, but it's an impressive-enough resource to be a compelling document.  The (R)evolution Continues is a likely addition to year end lists, and deservedly so.  Don't pass this one by.

 Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more at http://www.chicagobluesalivinghistory.com/ or www.myspace.com/chicagoabluesalivinghistory.  Chicago Blues: A Living History – The (R)evolution Continues drops June 7, 2011.  The album is available for pre-order from Amazon.com as a CD or Download.  A digital version is also available via iTunes.

Review: Robbie Greig – Songman In India

Robbie Greig – Songman In India
2009, Robbie Greig

Melbourne, Australia’s Robbie Greig is an old-school troubadour, using music to illuminate tales about people, places and the truths of life. He is also a highly decorated performer, with awards from the Australia Council, The Australian Songwriters Association and 3RRR. For his ninth studio album, Songman In India, Greig digs into the story of a tragic fire that occurred in Varkala Beach, Kerala, South India. Greig tells the tales of some of the survivors, and the hardships they faced from their environment and even their elected officials. Greig calls on some of the finest names in World Music in Melbourne, including Howard Cairns, Dene Ford, Michael Jordan, Sandro Donatim, Rodney Waterman, Kavisha Mazzella and Raju Sharma. All of this is intermixed with live sounds from Varkala Beach.

Songman In India opens with A Varkala Tale, which sets place and time for the listener. You are introduced to Varkala in terms of the fire that stole homes and businesses from many of the residents there; a woman from Maine who helped organize the relief efforts and the general perspective of Greig. The song has a soothing, story-teller quality to it that is accentuated by an other-worldly recorder solo and a recording of a flute solo done at the live benefit on the beach that the song references. Mangu introduces one of the individuals who lost his home and business in the fire and details the problems he encountered from local politicos in trying to rebuild. The suggestion of heavy corruption hangs in the air here, although Greig never quite comes out and makes the accusation. One gets the impression that people’s homes and lives may have been burned to make room for commercial development.

Diddy-wah is the best song on the disc; Greig tells about making new friends and breaking down barriers, all revolving around what I presume to be an old Bo Diddley song. At Varkala Beach sounds like a 1930’s Jazz tune, complete with Barre chords and a vocal style that would sound appropriate coming out of a vintage tube radio. Reckless is a musical parable based loosely on the “grass is always greener” premise. A society is forced from their home, which they like, and find paradise. After a time they are forced back to their homeland, but it’s never the same. The song is all about being happy with what you have, and how human nature never quite allows that to be. The song is very well written, with a very subtle Reggae flavor. Venu’s Theme/Meeting On The Beach documents the problems with trying to make important decisions in the middle of a tropical paradise; where serious thought drifts with the sunshine and breeze.

Songman In India finds Greig pondering Indian cultures in contrast to those of the Indigenous Peoples of Australia. The song could easily reference First Nations from all over the world, but the focus here is on the events Greig lived through in Kerala and how the people of that Utopian land touched him. Greig closes out with Song For The Muse, an instrumental good by to Varkala that seems to capture the gentle nature of the ocean breeze.

Robbie Greig tells a sincere if sometimes disconnected tale of a tragedy in Varkala and the trials and tribulations that followed for the people of that land. Songman In India is pure troubadour material; using truth, humor and allegory to inform and enlighten, and perhaps even leave you thinking about the big world around you when it’s done. Greig’s manner is very easy-going on the disc; he refers to his passionate ideas in song here but I never quite got that in the emotional content of the songs presented on Songman In India. Greig seems to prefer an almost Bruce Cockburn-like dispassionate representation of events, people and places that runs counter to the words he sings. Songman In India is a good listen, but the heart that went into the writing doesn’t always come across in the performance.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Robbie Greig at www.myspace.com/robbiegreig. I could find no online outlets for Songman In India. I recommend you contact Robbie Greig through his MySpace page if you’d like to purchase one.