By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
BOBBY AND ANNIKA
It’s safe to say that while James Brown
was famously the hardest working man in
show biz, Bobby Rush is definitely the hard-
est working man in blues. At 86-years-old, he
regularly tours (over 200 dates a year) with
energetic, ribald shows, snagged his first
Grammy for Porcupine Meat (Rounder
Records) in 2017, has just dropped his 75th
career release, and if you’ve been following
Eddie Murphy’s comedic reemergence, you
entendre blues lyrics over a funky rhythm dri-
ven by his masterful harp. On top of the blues
world, indeed.
Captivating attention with a big bluesy
voice and charisma to match, Annika
Chambers has released two critically
acclaimed albums (her sophomore album
Wild & Free (Montrose) debuted at number
seven on Billboard’s blues chart) and gar-
nered the Blues Music Award for Best Soul
Annika Chambers
might have caught Bobby Rush performing in
his latest movie, Dolemite. That’s a lot of action
for an octogenarian! But Bobby has hustled all
of his life, from the time he started playing
blues during Chicago’s ‘50s blues renaissance,
until he earned the title “King of the Chitlin
Circuit” in the 70s, Bobby has never stopped
going.
The new release, Sitting On Top of The Blues
(Deep Rush), illustrates Bobby’s winning for-
mula of hard work, soul blues, and big doses
of raunch. Opening with an anthemic blues
boogie laced with a funky beat, “Hey Hey
Bobby Rush,” declares his position for all that
don’t already know: “I been singing the blues
for a long, long time/and the blue is always
on my mind/I’m a bluesman/that’s all I
know/I’m a bluesman/I sing the blues every-
where I go.” He drives his point home with
swinging harp blasts and wastes no time div-
ing into his signature sexy soul-blues num-
bers (accented on stage with big-bottomed
dancers) with “Good Stuff” and “You Got The
Goods On You.” Both are original dance tunes
heavy on the R&B, with Vasti Jackson serving
up hot guitar licks.
The instrumental excellence of “Bobby
Rush Shuffle” is a highlight, with the blues
master unleashing melodic swirls and bends
that dazzle. “Recipe For Love” is another
standout, with Bobby playing acoustic guitar
and crooning with palpable emotion.
Looking back over his five-decade record-
ing career, Bobby has explained that he feels
more comfortable doing what he feels now,
without the constraints of label’s pushing him
to be commercial. “I crossed over, but I never
crossed out my people” is one of Bobby’s
favorite ways to explain how he stayed true to
who he is while still appealing to a mass audi-
ence. **Sitting On Top of The Blues** demon-
strates this with tunes that appeal to his core
Southern, soul-blues fans as well as straight-
ahead harp playing and acoustic blues for
classic blues fans. Fittingly, the dynamic
“Bowlegged Woman” closes the CD by com-
bining all these elements. Bobby sings double-
14 illinoisentertainer.com december 2019
Blues Female Artist of the Year in May. It was
just in 2012 when Annika competed in the
International Blues Competition, which she
didn’t win, but her talent earned her a record
contract with the Texas-based Montrose
Records. Now, with her third release, the
enthralling Kiss My Sass (Vizztone), this Texas
blues woman is announcing her arrival as a
blues star.
Describing her outsized, expressive voice
as a cross between Aretha Franklin, Tina
Turner, and Koko Taylor, Annika merges the
vocal energy and emotional power of all three
artists for a sensational sound. She grew up
singing in her Houston church but never lis-
tened to secular music or performed outside
of church until she did two tours in the U.S.
Army. She became a popular singer for the
national anthem and entertained troops in
Kosovo and Iraq. After hearing the emotional
power of her voice, an army friend introduced
Annika to the blues. She studied the genre
and when she returned to Houston in 2011,
she formed Annika Chambers and The House
Rules Band. Her blues delivery with soul and
gospel undertones captured audiences imme-
diately
Annika has perfected that blend on Kiss
My Sass. Opening with the booming shuffle,
‘Let That Sass Out,” she establishes her com-
manding range and engaging nuances right
out the box. The blues with an infectious
country rhythm comes out on “That’s What
You Made Me” with Annika pouring her
heart out about a cheating man. A surprising
cover of Michael Jackson’s The Wiz tune, “You
Can’t Win,” turns into a Southern-fried party
under Annika’s skill. The sublime “What’s
Your Thing” is a highlight, with Ruthie Foster
singing backup and playing acoustic guitar
on the Staple Singers song. Annika gives a
rousing tribute to blues pioneers on “Two Bit
Texas Town” and “Brand New Day,” suppling
a scorching slow blues. If her Blues Music
Award and previous albums haven’t
announced the message, Kiss My Sass boldly
states that Annika Chambers has arrived.