Jimmy Burns
Live at B.L.U.E.S.
Delmark DE 789
I love this tiny north side Chicago club, but it's not
the best place to film a performance. Patrons innocently get in the way of some of the
views, yet this may make you feel as if you are among the crowd. Band members have to
squish on to the miniature band stand. Greg McDaniel (bass) wedges in between Sunnyland
Slim's old piano and the drum riser. Four cameramen get so close to the performers,
you can see their finger placements on the frets. An overhead camera captures James Carter
on drums. Recorded August 13, 2006, the live on stage footage is interspersed with
bartenders making drinks, the club's walls and the photos that adorn, outside shots
of the club and the club's backyard BBQ party.
With a gentle approach, Jimmy Burns, who was born in
Dublin, Mississippi, and sings about the town in "Leaving Here
Walking", is the
least Chicago blues-sounding artist of the last remaining Chicago blues greats. Perhaps
that's because Burns feels he never left the Delta although he's now been living
in Chicago for 51 years.
There is nothing flashy here, it's just great down
home music. The 12 songs, including four which do not appear on his three previous Delmark
releases, are consistently sharp. Some are more memorable than others. Second guitarist
Tony Palmer rocks out during "Can't Hold Out Much Longer". In general,
Palmer tends to crank a bit too much. "Better Know What You're
Doing". a
tribute to John Lee Hooker, is full of Johnny B. Moore pushes and pulls. The blues'
influence on blues/rock and hard rock can be heard on this rapidly repetitive rumble.
Jesse Fortune's extremely frail vocals do not restrict him from belting out the
lyrics of "Three O'Clock Blues". Dressed in a light brown shirt and
sporting a straw hat, Burns' smooth and soulful vocals match his majestic guitar
style throughout the 75-minute DVD.
The video and audio are both crystal clear. As an added
bonus there is an audio commentary which reveals a lot about Burns and his music, e.g., he
has two children and creates his own bottlenecks, which he uses to play slide guitar.
Disturbingly some of the songs on the commentary have un-synchronized audio and video.
Also available is a 68-minute CD (with two less songs).
- Tim Holek -
Southwest Blues DVD Review - September 2007
Current Reviews - 2007 Reviews - available at our store
