• NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

The Surprising Real Names of 30 Famous Blues Artists

July 1, 2022

Canadian Roots Blues Duo Blue Moon Marquee Are Ready to ‘Scream, Holler & Howl’

July 1, 2022

Tommy Castro and the Painkillers Live at 16 TONELADAS Rock Club in Valencia, Spain

June 30, 2022

The King and I: A Review of the Elvis Film

June 30, 2022
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Facebook Twitter Instagram Vimeo
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
  • NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
Home»Reviews»Chicago Blues All-Stars Are "Red, Hot & Blue"
Reviews

Chicago Blues All-Stars Are "Red, Hot & Blue"

Barry KerznerBy Barry KerznerJuly 11, 2013Updated:April 9, 2020No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email VKontakte WhatsApp
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

CBAS - red hot blue cvr

Chicago’s musical cup runneth over with talent these days. Currently, there is a renaissance taking place in our beloved Windy City. If you are a blues lover, you can not mention Memphis, Clarksdale, St Louis, Detroit, or New Orleans, and not finish with Chicago; to do so is blasphemy! So what would happen if you took some players that had paid their dues and been around for a while, and formed a musical revue? Then, what if they combined Chicago blues with the funk of LA and Atlanta, the soul of Philadelphia and Detroit, and threw in some Texas rocking blues for good measure? Well, that “what if” is now reality.

The Chicago Blues All-Stars are Red, Hot & Blue. Released on the Azure Music label, Red, Hot & Blue is noteworthy on many levels. These musicians are all top-shelf Chicago players who have backed and played with music royalty including Buddy Guy, The Rolling Stones, Albert Collins, Gary Moore, Otis Rush, and Muddy Waters. The Chicago Blues All-Stars are “Killer” Ray Allison on guitar and vocals, Daniel “Chicago Slim” Ivankovich – guitar and vocals, Scott Dirks – harp and vocals, Roosevelt “Mad Hatter” Purifoy – keys and vocals, Johnny B. Gayden – bass, and Jerry Porter on skins. The All Star Horns that accompany the band are Johnny Cotton – bone, Garrick Patten – sax, and Kenny Anderson – trumpet. Also providing vocals is newcomer Anji Brooks.

The album leads off with the hard-hitting “Everything Going To Be Alright,” with its Leon Russell undertones, funky beat, wah infused guitar, and Texas style gritty vocal. “Feeling Sexy” is excellent, sweet club-style funk, with keyboard lines that will take you back, kicking horn accents, an old school vocal, and wailing guitar runs. The only thing missing is Bootsy Collins fronting with his star shaped bass and those awesome star glasses. Other slamming tracks include “Wang Dang Doodle,” originally written for Howlin’ Wolf by Willie Dixon. This version is a straight-ahead, full speed jaunt, with Anji Brooks obviously enjoying delivering her vocals, and the entire band just nailing it! Lots of energy here. There is also a seriously kickin’ rendering of “Hoodoo Man Blues.” We can definitely picture in our mind’s eye CBAS rocking their funky version of “Rock Me Baby” on Beale Street in Memphis and Maxwell Street in Chicago, eliciting joyful howls from the crowd as the ladies shake and the men watch with delight.

This album is a blues cake with a lot of funky joy baked into it. Back-in-the-day, a person could hear this music live in all the great clubs. For a long time now, it has been a lost art form. CBAS has brought it back in a big way, showing this music the love and respect it deserves. If you have been jonesin’ for a fix of delicious funky blues with some heart, this album is for you. Do yourself a favor: When you do bring this home, listen to it through headphones first. Trust us; you really want to hear all of it.

Chicago Blues All-Stars

CBAS On Facebook

Album Review Azure Music Blues-Rock CBAS CD Review Chicago Blues Chicago Blues All-Stars Memphis Blues Red Hot & Blues Texas Blues
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
Previous ArticleBill Wax Gets Serious about Sirius
Next Article Buddy Guy's "Rhythm & Blues": Earth-Shaking Blues with the Best of Friends
Barry Kerzner

Related Posts

The King and I: A Review of the Elvis Film

June 30, 2022

Liz Jones: New Song & Video Premiere Prior To Edinburgh Fringe Festival Gig

June 30, 2022

Wilco ‘Cruel Country’ Tour: Live At Casa De Cultura De Burjassot, Valencia June 24th

June 27, 2022

Gov’t Mule is Back and Better Than Ever

June 15, 2022

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Videos
  • About

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.