REMEMBERING EDDY
B
lues legend Eddy Clearwater towered over the Chicago scene both literally and figuratively . At six feet four , he cut a striking figure , slashing his left-handed guitar with his signature blues , rock and funk riffs . Born in a Mississippi cotton field and nurtured by rural juke joints and West Side blues pioneers , Eddy personified the journey and breadth of blues culture . He taught himself to play left-handed and upside down , with a stinging tone that would define his style .
Young Edward Harrington started out playing guitar in church for the Five Blind Boys of Alabama and moved on to performing on stages all over the globe . Greatly influenced by the skill and versatility of jump blues pioneer Louis Jordan as well as Chuck
By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
Eddy Clearwater
Berry , Eddy was able to command a variety of styles and attracted a following from blues , rock and country fans . Acknowledged as a master of the West Side blues guitar , he first heard Chicago style blues when he snuck into the legendary West Side blues bar , the 708 club to hear Muddy Waters at 18- years-old . It didn ’ t take him long to start recording tunes for his uncle ’ s Atomic H record label and playing a host of Southside clubs .
Eddy never stopped recording or performing , his last live CD , 2014 ’ s Soul Funky ( Cleartone ) featured him in top form at his 80th birthday concert , scorching up original tunes like “ Came Up the Hard Way ” and his signature “ They Call Me The Chief .” He was scheduled to perform at several concerts for
the Chicago Blues Fest weekend before his passing , and fellow blues musicians gathered to pay tribute to the beloved icon throughout the weekend .
Genuine and warm , with a steady and positive personality that connected with everyone he met , Eddy was loved wherever he went . Nicknamed “ The Chief ,” for his outsized presence , Eddy Clearwater ’ produced 15 solo albums and a far-reaching blues legacy that will always live on .
In a season of blues tributes , Delmark has released two standouts . On the CD jacket for Tribute to Carey Bell Lurrie Bell & The Bell Dynasty , a black and white photo of Carey with his sons Lurrie , Steve , Tyson , and James captures attention . The boys are young , beaming with youthful energy and Lurrie glows with the prodigious talent for which he had already become known . It could be any family photo except that Lurrie holds his guitar and Steve clutches drumsticks . This is not just a photo of a family it ’ s a reflection of a significant cultural legacy being handed down . The cover showed the Bell boys grizzled and grown up , with Lurrie still clutching his guitar . The torch has been passed , and the Bell family has no intention of letting it flicker out .
Tribute To Carey Bell arrives almost 50 years after Carey released his Delmark debut , Carey Bell ’ s Blues Harp , and his sons deliver critical songs from his repertoire . If you ’ re a blues fan worrying about the state of traditional blues , this record will put you at ease . Not only do the Bell Brothers serve up their father ’ s classics , but they also offer it in their own flavorful style with even a few originals thrown in .
Opening with Muddy Waters “ Gone To Main Street ,” you can hear Lurrie queuing his brothers as they slide into a rousing blues groove with Steve serving up dazzling harp swoops . The foundation has been laid , and the album unfolds with a flawless set of a
dozen tunes that transport listeners to a heady blues dreamland . Lurrie tears into Big Walter Horton ’ s “ Hard Hearted Woman ,” Charlie Musselwhite adds his harp to “ I Got To Go ,” and Billy Branch , Eddie Taylor Jr . and Sumito Ariyoshi wring out every drop of emotion on the Carey Bell original , “ So Hard To Leave You Alone .” Billy and Steve create a head-cutting frenzy on another original , “ Carey Bell Was a Friend of Mine ,” but the ultimate standouts came from James Bell . An accomplished drummer since he was a kid barely peering over his drum set , this CD reveals a smooth , powerful vocalist as well as composer . His original “ Keep Your Eyes On The Prize ” delivers enough swagger and blues bit that it could easily climb the charts . Tribute To Carey Bell is a tribute done the right way , with reverence for the past and awareness of the future .
Tribute : Newly Recorded Blues Celebration of Delmark ’ s 65th Anniversary is another tribute done right . Instead of a retreading of past hits , the album showcases Delmark artists who have recorded in this century paying homage to the artists who recorded in the ‘ 60s and ‘ 70s . It ’ s a refreshing concept , and the music sounds as vibrant as if it was being introduced today .
Kicking off with a roaring cover of Junior Wells ’ “ Train I Ride ” by Omar Coleman , his excitement and passion leap from the recording . Lurrie Bell does his father proud on the classic , “ One Day You Gonna Get Lucky ” and Linsey Alexander and Billy Flynn supply a soul splitting rendition of Jimmy Dawkins ’ “ All For Business .” Demetria Taylor calls up Big Time Sarah ( with a little of Koko Taylor thrown in ) on ” Riverboat ,” and Jimmy Burns offers up a pristine slice of country blues with Big Joe Williams ’ “ She Left Me A Mule to Ride .” Tribute is a carefully crafted collection that spotlights just how vital Delmark is to the blues industry in general and fans in particular Continued . on page 52
Food for the Body , Music for the Soul
210 Green Bay Road , Highwood , Illinois 60040 847.433.0304 www . 210live . com
SunJuly1 Judy Night Quintet *
SunJuly8 WDCB Jazz Party with Sunsounds *
SatJuly14 Eric and The Dynamos
SunJuly15 Bill Porter Orchestra
WedJuly18 Judy Roberts & Greg Fishman *
FriJuly20 Dance Night with The Melamed Band and DJ
FriJuly27 Jambon SatJuly28 The LOVE / 70 ' s FM Radio
(*) no cover charge
July 5 The Stares July 12 Kevin Purcell and The Nightburners
July 26 The Moods no cover charge
We welcome chef Peter McCarthy and his amazing ribs & more to 210 Live !
SAT JULY 7 FRI JULY 13 THUR JULY 19 SAT JULY 21 SUN JULY 22
Carpacho y Su Super Combo
Plus Latin Dance Lesson
Indika Reggae
and
Out of Storage
FRI JULY 6
Beggars Banquet plus Tina Turner Experience
Casey
James from American Idol
July 11 Terrapin Flyer July 25 Terrapin Flyer
August 1 Jerry Garcia
76th Birthday Party ! with Mr . Blotto
Expo 76 plus Guy King
Steal Your Face Wednesdays
Paulinho Garcia
Duo no cover charge
12 illinoisentertainer . com july 2018