Bobby Rush
Raw To The Bone
Independent
Why hasn’t anyone written a book about Bobby Rush? He has many stories to tell. The sincere songs on Raw To The Bone display
his innate ability to tell stories. Educated by some of the genre’s finest, Bobby left his imprint on the mighty Chicago blues scene,
created his own folk funk style, and has been crowned the "King of the Chittlin
Circuit". Now 72, Rush has recently crossed over to
a wider audience. "I was told I couldn’t crossover without changing my image. I didn’t believe that. I’m a black man who plays the
blues. What you see is what you get. I’m just being Bobby Rush, a plain ole country
boy". Shawn Kellerman hails from Kitchener,
Ontario, and is a contemporary blues guitar virtuoso. His style of guitar reinterprets the traditional forms and blasts them into the
present.
There are two sides to Bobby Rush. One comes with booty shaking chorus girls, risqué material and flamboyant costume changes.
The other, as portrayed here, involves old-fashioned grooves from the hills and jukes. Raw To The Bone (his 5th CD released within
the last three years) was recorded at Rush’s home on Kellerman’s laptop. The 13 laid back and relaxed songs were written by Rush,
yet many of them sound familiar, e.g., "What’s The Use" sounds like “No Cutting Loose”.
The 52-minute CD features bare bones blues performed in the traditional 12-bar format. Exposing only Rush’s full-bodied harmonica,
"You Don’t Love Me" and "I’m Tired" may be the barest of them all. "Boney Maroney" is a departure from his usual lovin’ a big fat
woman shtick. The song, about a ‘little skinny woman’, has a catchy yet simple rhythm. All along, they are not as raunchy as you
might expect. However, if you didn’t know the real Bobby Rush - he has been married to the same woman for over 40 years and is
very active in local charities - you’d mistake him for a lying, cheating sex maniac on “I Got Three Problems”.
Rush plays guitar, chromatic and diatonic harp and clomps his feet to keep the beat. His unobtrusive vocals sound like they are in
conversation with you. Throughout, Kellerman maturely plays the role of dependable sideman, yet on "What’s Going On" he cuts his
strings like the Delta masters. Performing acoustically - especially when it only involves two guitars, a harp and a vocalist
- is difficult
because listeners focus intently. Creating a memorable and energized acoustic CD
- like this one - is even more admirable. Purists
will be pleased with this permeating product although it may be a bit hard to find.
- Tim Holek -
Southwest Blues CD Review - August 2007
Current Reviews - 2007 Reviews
