Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Blues Brothers and Friends: Live from Chicago's House of Blues

159

Blues Brothers and Friends: Live from Chicago's House of Blues

By

Sign in to view read count
Blues Brothers and Friends: Live from Chicago's House of Blues
Imagination. This is the Blues. And it's the real deal this time around.

Everyone remembers the John Belushi-Dan Aykroyd act from 1978-81. It sold well, spawned a pretty decent movie, and was the party music of choice in college frats across the country. And while Belushi and Aykroyd did possess a reasonable amount of talent and a genuine appreciation of the blues, and they had the budget and connections to assemble a powerhouse dream band, it was primarily faddish entertainment. The real bluesmen were torn between feeling jealous that they would probably never achieve such stardom despite committing their entire lives to their craft, and being grateful to the band for introducing millions of Americans to their music.

Then John Belushi OD'd and the Blues Brothers died along with him—until now. Jim Belushi (a.k.a. "Brother Zee Blues") is standing in, and many members of the original band have been reunited for this all-star concert to open the House of Blues nightclub in Chicago. But I contend that this CD tops anything the original Blues Brothers did almost twenty years ago. The key is that this time, they enlisted some of the greatest blues masters to be featured performing their songs with the band. Guest stars include Billy Boy Arnold, Lonnie Brooks, Charlie Musselwhite, Syl Johnson, Eddie Floyd, Tommy "Pipes" McDonald, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, plus Sergei Varonov—yep, a bluesman from Russia.

The band just smokes throughout. I think everybody present rose to the occasion, being spurred on by a party-ready crowd who could appreciate the enormity of what was going on before their eyes and ears. This is one of those live recordings where the spirit and energy of the performance translates well from the club to your living room. If this CD doesn't get you pumped, better get down to the ER to make sure you're still alive!

Track Listing

"Intro"; "Green Onions"; "Chicken Shack"; "Sweet Home Chicago"; "I Wish You Would" (featuring Billy Boy Arnold); "Messin' with the Kid" (featuring Sergei Varonov); "All My Money Back" (featuring Lonnie Brooks); "Born In Chicago" (featuring Charlie Musselwhite); "Blues, Why You Worry Me?" (featuring Charlie Musselwhite); "Groove With Me Tonight" (featuring Syl Johnson); "634-5789" (featuring Eddie Floyd); "All She Wants to Do Is Rock" (featuring Tommy "Pipes" McDonnell); "Flip, Flop and Fly"; "Money (That's What I Want)" (featuring Sam Moore, Jeff Baxter and Tommy "Pipes" McDonnell); "Viva Las Vegas" (featuring Sam Moore, Jeff Baxter and Tommy "Pipes" McDonnell).

Personnel

Elwood Blues – Vocals, Harmonica; Brother Zee Blues – Vocals, Harmonica; Matt "Guitar" Murphy – Lead Guitar; Steve "The Colonel" Cropper – Guitar; Donald "Duck" Dunn – Bass guitar; Lou "Blue Lou" Marini – Tenor & Alto Saxophones; Alan "Mr. Fabulous" Rubin – Trumpet; Paul "The Shiv" Shaffer – keyboards, Background Vocals; Danny "G-Force" Gottlieb -drums; Birch "Crimson Slide" Johnson -Trombone; Leon Pendarvis -Keyboards; Tommy "Pipes" McDonnell -percussion, Lead & Background Vocals; Billy Boy Arnold -guitar, vocals; Charley Musselwhite -harmonica; Jeff Baxter -guitar; Sam Moore -vocals; Eddie Floyd -vocals; Syl Johnson -vocals; Sergei Varonov -vocals.

Album information

Title: Live from Chicago's House of Blues | Year Released: 1998 | Record Label: H.O.B.

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.