Some of the most Chicago-sounding bluesmen didn't grow up in the Windy City but rather were people who moved there after growing up in the Deep South.
Muddy Waters
,
Willie Dixon
Bo Diddley
Jimmy Reed
Elmore James
, and
Howlin' Wolf
are perfect examples; all of them were born in Mississippi, but ultimately, Chicago was the place that did the most to shape their musical identity. Despite their Mississippi roots, all of them became closely identified with electric Chicago blues instead of acoustic Mississippi country blues of the
Son House
/
Robert Johnson
Charley Patton
variety -- and
Little Arthur Duncan
is another example of a Mississippi native who moved to the Windy City, was greatly influenced by
Chess Records
, and wholeheartedly embraced the electric blues of his adopted home. In fact, electric blues don't get much more Chicago-obsessed and
Chess
-influenced than
Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge
, which documents a Windy City gig of August 18, 2007. This 65-minute CD underscores the fact that after
Duncan
made Chicago his home, he didn't look back. The veteran singer/harmonica player isn't a major name in the blues world, but he has been around the Chi-Town blues scene since the '50s -- and spirited, gritty performances of
Reed
's
"Pretty Thing,"
Wolf
"No Place to Go,"
and two
Dixon
favorites (
"Young Fashioned Ways"
and
"Little Red Rooster"
) leave no doubt that
lives and breathes electric Chicago blues. Vocally and technically,
(who turned 73 in 2007) doesn't bring a tremendous amount of stamina to his
Rosa Lounge
performances, but he still has enough spirit and enthusiasm to make
a meaningful, worthwhile document of his live show. ~ Alex Henderson