Comments on: Bigger Than Life: Chicago Blues Great Otis Rush

By: SOG knives

SOG knives — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:53:27 +0000

SOG knives

Interesting ideas… I wonder how the Hollywood media would portray this?

By: fenderick

fenderick — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:55:27 +0000

I love the writings of Taters. The stories & incite from a real blues man.
I have had the honor of sharing the stage with the writer of this piece.
He is one of the great players that I look up to.
He is a major influence on my playing & many others.
Just like all the greats BB King, Albert Collins, Buddy Guy he has a kind heart & will always make time to talk to his fans.
If anyone has the opportunity to see him with Etta James, you will feel the soul & power that he projects onstage. He is the real deal.
I’m not one to kiss a**. I just speak the truth.
Taters please keep up the good work!!

By: hoosierHoops

hoosierHoops — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:10:22 +0000

Taters: Outstanding post..
Do you remember the Hooker & Heat album with Canned Heat backing up Johnny Hooker? I liked Boggie Children the best.. Canned Heat was one of my all time favorite bands..When Blind Owl Wilson died i was devestated..when Bob Hite passed on the band faded away.( I wonder who ever got his 20,000 blues albums they claimed he had?) Henry Vestine was the man on guitar, I guess he originally played with Zappa but caught smoking and was let go..
The most under rated brilliant guitarist of all time? Zappa. IMO

Your posts are my favorite to read!!

By: Taters

Taters — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:43:59 +0000

Hey SOS,
Thanks. Larry, like his colleague and friend, Pat Lang, both have a strong love of culture. So yes, I am completely flattered that I am allowed and even encouraged to post my occasional musings here.
I had the good fortune to see Duane with the Allman Brothers, it really was one of those concerts that I will always remember - despite being a mere lad at the time.
Incredibly tight, no nonsense, excellent musicianship, really imaginative improvisation, deeply drawing from the blues well - and just when you thought the last song took you as far as one could possibly be taken, the next tune took you even farther. They played every song as if it was their last. if I recall, my friend Elvin Bishop was the opener. (Elvin was a National Merit Scholar, his knowledge of Japanese and kanji is close to the late Amb. Reischauer’s - IMHO - although he is far too modest to admit it.)
To Bloomfleld and Gravenites’ credit - they wanted to do an Otis Rush recording with a real budget and the best possible players - and with the Muscle Shoals A Team - they did just that. The best bandleaders just about always have been the best sidemen during their tenure as such - and Duane was no exception.

By: Sidney O. Smith III

Sidney O. Smith III — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 16:40:16 +0000

Hey “Taters”
Congratulations and Good luck with your endeavors! Your Reg Kehoe link from a few weeks ago at sst was an all time classic.

Your post here reminded me of Duane Allman, “Anthology”, hence the comment. After the original band initially broke up in the 1970‘s , many people around here began to follow “Sea Level”, with Chuck Leavell, Jai Johanny Johnson, Lamar Williams, Davis Causy, and Randall Bramlett. Bramlett still has a following in Athens GA where he lives. When he plays at the local clubs, many of the old Allman Bros. fans appears. Bit of a flashback to the era of Muscle Shoals.

I still believe the art work for their first album “Allman Bros.” band is “archetypal”. I never got to see Duane Allman play “live” as I was a few years too young for the time. But many of my older friends heard him play at Piedmont Park in Atlanta before the motorcycle accident.

When I lived in LA a few years ago, I met a very talented music producer named Steve Tyrell from New Orleans. He seemed to know the Blues scene really well.

Amazing all of this is percolating up on a website devoted to national security issues. Fantastic!

By: Taters

Taters — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:25:13 +0000

MM,
Thanks for the very kind words. Tal is absolutely amazing! And Doyle II is a no less a talent.
And Derek Trucks is as good as it gets, too. I’m going to check out your link to John Stewart.

By: Taters

Taters — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:13:41 +0000

WFR,
Thank you for an excellent report. Dickey Betts is a great guitarist, it sounds like you saw one helluva show.

By: Mr.Murder

Mr.Murder — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:20:29 +0000

If anyone is interested. This is a link to a John Stewart song, If You Should Remember Me. John died last night of a massive stroke. He was sixty eight. John was a long-time member of the Kingston Trio (He replaced Dave Guard) in the original line-up. He wrote many familiar song including Daydream Believer for the Monkees as well as songs like Chilly Wind by the Kingston Trio. He was probably the most (left) political of the members of that group and actually influenced their politics.

When they broke up he went on to a long solo career that ran the gamut from Rock to country to straight folk. He had a moderately successful rock album with the help of Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks with hits like GOLD and Midnight Wind and Lost Her in the Sun.

July You’re a Woman was the song that was sort of the model for Simon and Garfunkel’s THE BOXER. If you listen to them together the origin of the later Boxer is unmistakable.

Please enjoy if you have a few minutes. A true artist. I will miss his music.
http://home.comcast.net/~veritas20001/Remember.mp3

–DWD - Just tired

By: Mr.Murder

Mr.Murder — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:16:39 +0000

Tal Wilkenfeld plays bass on Jeff Beck’s recent tours. She’s not just an emerging star, she’s a supernovae cluster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gO7FI_ogvA

Otis Rush does that hat some true justice. Real blues men wear black, it’s the attitude he puts on top of the ability that makes him a blues brand.

He honed the fire for kilns that shaped many of today’s best blues styles, and hammered out hits that would later be foundry points for founding new heavier music. Otis makes his guitar sing, something Clapton would emulate, along with personally powerful vocabulary presentation and story telling. Others note their efforts together on stage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPid-F18y9E

Eric’s recent band member was Doyle Bramhall II. The same way Otis connected to Eric he’s done so to Doyle. The next generation of blues is playing right now.

Forgive Otis for being insulated in some respects from playing with everyone. He had to hear his own voice above others, the blues reach everyone differently and the greats hear and play it like no others.

The blues experience is a way to dance with the devil. If you can’t take the heat he didn’t want you in on his vibe. That you could fire walk with him, Taters, tells people all they need to know.

Keepers of the flame, sharing some serious fire.

By: whoframedrudy

whoframedrudy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:18:08 +0000

Wow, I hope I get to see Rush. Saw a hot one this past New Year’s Eve. Dickey Betts of the original Allman Bros at B.B. King’s. Betts is better now than even on the classic ‘Fillmore’ jams. I’ve seen him three times, he plays how he feels. If he’s drunk or pissed off–he’s like a rattlesnake on crystal. New Year’s he was in a sweet mood, so it was a lot of sweet country picking–’Blue Sky’ was manna. With Great Southern he puts back together the old Allmans set–long jams, two drummers, three guitarists–Dickey, son Duane Betts and Andy Aledort–two drummers. Dickey counted down to the New Year then broke into Old Acquaintances on his Les Paul–it was so classic. It was just too much when they went into Elizabeth Reed just after New Year’s. So I know it’s gonna be a good year.

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:41:16 +0000

I’ll put MAY 17TH,San Rafael, CA on the calender. God Speed Taters.

By: Taters

Taters — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:43:43 +0000

TK,
I’ve never played there but I’m familiar with it but a lot of wonderful artists have.
Here’s two upcoming dates in May in Marin & Sacramento

MAY 16TH RADISSON HOTEL – OUTDOOR GROVE Sacramento, CA
500 Leisure Lane

MAY 17TH MARIN COUNTY CIVIC CENTER San Rafael, CA

By: Taters

Taters — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:29:10 +0000

Tony B,
Thanks, I really appreciate the kind words.

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:48:25 +0000

Taters: Segovia. My dad took me took see him at Carnegie Hall . The guy had stubbly little fingers yet his hands were a blurr when he played. WOW I was hooked.

By: Tony B.

Tony B. — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:19:39 +0000

What a lovely tribute from a lovely man. All my love to you and all the people you love, especially the Rush family.

By: Bigger Than Life: Chicago Blues Great Otis Rush

Bigger Than Life: Chicago Blues Great Otis Rush — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:36:29 +0000

[...] Bigger Than Life: Chicago Blues Great Otis Rush Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters, BB King, Albert King, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Albert King, Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, Carlos Santana and Stevie Ray Vaughan all at one time or another have stated how much they profoundly … [...]

By: Taters

Taters — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:28:10 +0000

Kyle Young,
Thanks for your response. Liner notes - what would we have done without them? Sounds like we have taken a similar journey. I’ve had some great times at B.L.U.E.S and had a ton of fun there. Many great acts have performed there through the years, including Otis. I used to go to back and forth across the street from B.L.U.E.S. to Kingston Mines
And yes, there’s nothing like a good bellman who knows the ropes.
I played Chicago Blues Fest in ‘84, ‘85? and we were paid by check. Being from out of town, I had no way to cash it and the band needed money. Anyway, I went to B.L.U.E.S. and the owner said if I don’t mind waiting until after 2am, he would cash it for me. Well hell, Jimmy Johnson was playing so I sure didn’t mind waiting. Midwest hospitality at its finest. He cashed it and I was able to pay the band.

By: Kyle Young

Kyle Young — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 15:00:57 +0000

Mine is the normal 60-70’s rock-blues,read the liner notes,found Muddy Waters etc.,story.Got the Muscle Shoals album then somehow Otis slipped off my screen. Jump to about 1985,long weekend break in Wisconsin, kids with Grandma. On way back to S. Indiana,decide to spend night in Chicago.Ask Bellman for blues recomendation. He sends me out to market for a READER. After scanning,He points to B.L.U.E.S. on Halstead and says “I’ll be there”. Very small packed club, I normally need more air and space,but we stayed till the last note (3am?). Walked out knowing I’d seen a much under compensated master. Bellman made it After Midnite.

By: Taters

Taters — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 14:55:56 +0000

ybnormal,
Those are great artists you mentioned. I hear you. I was exposed to really fine music via my public library. A public library is how I “discovered” Julian Bream and John Williams, two great classical guitarists who were disciples of Segovia. I used to keep “It’s My Life Baby” by Jr. Wells checked out. (Allowing for others to do so too, of course.)
Oh yeah, the Sherlock Holmes audio tapes with Basil Rathbone were also available. Thank you for bringing back some good memories for me.

By: ybnormal

ybnormal — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 10:35:16 +0000

Taters, thanks for bringing back some memories. I haven’t listened to Otis Rush for quite awhile. But I have fond memories of when I was in Claremont CA high school; I discovered that the nearby Pomona Library had a large amount of records for checkout. It was my chance to hear a lot of music I’d heard about but couldn’t aford to buy.

Along with Otis Rush, I remember hearing for the first times Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Otis Spann, Erroll Garner and a host of others.