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Otis Rush : bad mojo but
great blues
It is unbelievable that this live recording from 1976 remained nearly thirty years in a closet at Delmark Records ! Thirty years ! Why ? The explanation has never been given as far as I know…
Just another episode of Rush's "cursed artist" chaotic career. Bad luck, probably resulting from his tormented and pessimistic personality and by his whimsical refusal to make any musical compromise, led him to wrong personal choices. Some would say a bad mojo was on him. After his first label Cobra went bankrupt in 1959, he never found a record company really willing to support him seriously, passing from one to the other, often not for the better (Duke, Vanguard, Chess, Sonet, Capitol, Bullfrog, Delmark, Universal...) while appearing on a multitude of multi-artists compilations, far many more than his own albums.
Still in spite of all he had become a legend. But in 2003, he suffered a severe stroke that left him unable to play (a stroke apparently not properly treated that caused him serious heath problems during the following 15 years until his death in 2018).Two years later, in 2005, with nothing new to release, Delmark decided to capitalize on Rush's fame by taking this recording out of the closet. A commercial decision indeed but fortunately the Wise Fools Pub recordings were worth Rush's justified reputation.
Surrounded by his current musicians at the time, reassured by the familiar environment of the Wise Fools Pub where he played regularly, Rush was in perfect condition to deliver a great performance. The show was recorded for a live radio program, Chicago's WXRT Sunday Night Unconcert ("unconcert" because it was sponsored by the "Uncola" soda brand). After several live albums, disappointing for different reasons, this was going to be the right one. Once again, Rush's bad mojo kept Delmark from releasing it… Now that we have it in hand, we measure how much it was an unfortunate decision : it could have put back Rush career on the right tracks.
Twelve titles, all performed with a lot of soul and long enough to leave plenty space for Rush's excitingly sharp lead guitar. Twelve pure West Side soul blues among which are four B.B. King songs written with J. Taub aka Julius Bihari (1) : "Please Love Me", "You're Breaking My Heart", "Woke Up This Morning", "Sweet Little Angel"., and the B.B. King/Johnny Pate's "Gambler's Blues". There's also numbers from Mel London ("Will My Woman Be Home Tonight"), T. Bone Walker (the exciting straight blues "Mean Old World"), E. J. White (the outstanding "High Society"), Chuck Willis (the nicely rocking "Feel So Bad"), Jimmy Smith (the highly swinging "Motoring Along"), and two Rush's songs : "All Your Love (I Miss Loving)" and its famous seducing guitar riff, and "It Takes Time" featuring a hell of a solo too.
But whoever wrote the songs, they all sound Otis Rush : tight backing band, particularly with the renowned Bob Stroger on bass, outstanding cutting guitar with inimitable sound and extremely soulful vocals by Rush. This album has both the quality of a perfectly recorded show and the real spontaneity of a live performance. Once again Rush is faultless and one understands where his legendary reputation came from.Thirty years to wait before discovering such a recording ! Incredible ! ■
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The four Bihari brothers
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(1) Lester, Julius, Saul and Joseph Bihari, sons of a Hungarian Jewish immigrants couple, co-founded several record blues and R&B labels : Modern Records in 1945, and its subsidiaries RPM, Flair, Meteor and Crown Records in the 1950s. Their catalogue included among others, B.B. King, Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lowell Fulson, Rufus Thomas…
● For more biographical infos, interviews and concerts videos, also check here
New live videos
[Cadillac Sam Burton : drums, John Kattke : guitar, Phil Baron : keys, Fred Barnes : bass]
[01. Buddy Guy : Five long years. 02. Ruth Brown : If i can't sell it, i'm gonna sit on it. 03. Booker T. Laury : Booker's boogie. 04. Albert Collins : I ain't drunk. 05. Don McMinn : guitar jam. 06. Charles Brown : Driftin' blues. 07. Ruby Wilson & Joyce Cobb : Your wagon done broke down. 08. Buddy Guy & Junior Wells : Jam, Everything goin' to be all right. 09. Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets with Sam Myers : Look on yonders wall. 10. Booker T. Laury : Blues impro with vocal. 11. Otis Rush : It's my own fault. 12. Otis Rush : Cross cut saw. 13. Ruth Brown : Lucky so and so. 14. Charles Brown : All my life. 15. Albert Collins : Black cat bone. 16. Buddy Guy & Albert Collins : Guitar Duel.] [Otis Rush - guitar &vocals, LA Jones guitar & vocals, Sharon Denton – bass, Zora Young – vocals, A.M Hamel – guitar, Anthony Geraci – piano, Jack Moore - drums]
● Switzerland, 1986 (after a 15 mn intro by the backing band) : https://youtu.be/KGOvNNE9Lps
● "Right place wrong time", unknown dates :
● "It's My own Fault", with Johnny "Big Moose" Walker on piano (the abrupt ending is due to the power in the venue going out), unknown place & date : https://youtu.be/Vy5-91O8i5o● Live, unknown place & date :
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| During the 2016 Chicago Blues Festival |
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Delmark's boss Robert Koester
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● "It's My own Fault", with Johnny "Big Moose" Walker on piano (the abrupt ending is due to the power in the venue going out), unknown place & date : https://youtu.be/Vy5-91O8i5o
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