Carey and Lurrie Bell
Getting’ Up Live
Delmark DE 1791
Having suffered a stroke and a broken hip prior to these
performances, Carey Bell was ailing and in poor health. He sits throughout the 80-minute
DVD which was recorded in Chicago on July 27, 2006 at Rosa's, July 27, 2006 at
Lurrie's home, and Oct. 21, 2006 at Legends. The camaraderie between these two is
eerie. They seem to sense what the other will do next, e.g., with a single glance at his
father, Lurrie relinquishes control of a song into his father's hands. A competition
between father and son does not unfold, yet it is Lurrie who emerges as the star. His
guitar solos aren't played lightening fast nor do they contain an exorbitant amount
of notes, they are just dripping in emotion. On the stand-out final track
"Stand By Me", Lurrie sings omen-like lyrics, ("Stand by me Lord / Help me bear this heavy
load"). Tragically, less than one year since the time of these recordings,
Lurrie's wife, Susan, and father, Carey, both passed away.
Rosa's is one of the city's finest clubs whereas Legends is the most popular.
Due to insufficient lighting, the latter is a difficult club to shoot in. It features a
deeper stage but the flash photography from the patrons is distracting. Two different
bands accompany Carey at these gigs. Kenny Smith is a more pumping and pounding drummer
compared to Brian Jones. Carey's regular guitarist Scott Cable performs on all the
Legends songs while Roosevelt Purifoy's keyboards are louder at Buddy's. Cable
adds nice fills to Lurrie's cascading notes.
Like a trotting pony, Jones shuffles while Bob Stroger
sways to the rhythm created by his trundling bass on "What My Mama Told
Me", The
unfettered title track is about being down for the count and getting back up again. Having
battled physical and mental health obstacles, the Bells are ready to be getting back up.
Swirling harp and exquisite guitar create the unrestrained instrumental
"Bell's Back". In addition to playing more notes which all sound sharp; a different tone is
created by Carey's chromatic harp on "Hard To Leave You Alone".
Thanks to a five man camera crew, you mostly get a front
row view. This is Carey's final recording and though it isn't his best, it is a
personification of Chicago blues. Like a river the band members flow while the Bells
create the current. A 63-minute CD is also available but it has three fewer tracks.
- Tim Holek -
Southwest Blues DVD Review - August 2007
Current Reviews - 2007 Reviews - available at our store
