Published on Sep 13, 1999
As much as I love the blues, it seems strange that I didn’t
discover the music of Luther Allison until his untimely death from
cancer.
Live In Chicago, a posthumous release that serves as a
celebration of the legendary guitarist/singer’s life, actually
makes me feel worse that I didn’t discover the joys of his talents
while he was still with us.
The title of this disc is slightly a misnomer; four tracks were
recorded in Lincoln, Nebraska, in one of Allison’s final shows
before his death. However, if he was sick, he didn’t let cancer
muffle his sound or his enthusiasm for the music, and their
inclusion in this set is both appropriate and fitting.
The first disc of this over two-hour set captures the intensity
of Allison’s performance at the 1995 Chicago Blues Festival. Having
just flown to Chicago from Paris the day of the show, one would
have understood if Allison sounded a bit tired or rusty. This,
however, is far from the case, as I can almost feel the joyous
sweat from Allison’s all-too-brief set. Allison’s guitar work
encompasses not only the blues, but the early days of rock and
roll; some of his solos could easily have come from the rock world,
they have such intensity and bite.
Tracks like “Soul Fixin’ Man,” “Move From The Hood” and his take
on “It Hurts Me Too” show that Allison was ready to lay claim to
the blues throne in the United States, having spent the better part
of two decades in Europe. The talent was there; it’s just that the
time wasn’t. Had Allison lived, there is no doubt that this disc
would have served as the coronation music.
Allison welcomes two old friends – Otis Rush and Eddie C.
Campbell – on the first disc’s closer “Gambler’s Blues / Sweet
Little Angel”. The guitar work of all three men blends into one
glorious noise, and serves as proof that the blues is truly a
joyous music that helps to put a smile on your face and a dance
step in your feet.
Disc two features Allison in more intimate quarters – the Zoo
Bar in Lincoln and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago (not long after
his performance at the Chicago Blues Fest). Sometimes, it takes a
little effort to plow through tracks like “All The King’s Horses,”
but Allison’s guitar work makes it a little easier.
Tracks like “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry,” “Walking Papers” and
“What’s Going On In My Home?” capture Allison holding court in the
more lively atmosphere of the clubs, and he seems to absorb every
ounce of energy these places pack into their walls. In a sadly
ironic twist, the set closes with “Everything’s Gonna Be All
Right,” almost a message Allison sends to his fans to let them know
that they don’t need to worry about him. Ka-pow.
Live In Chicago is the kind of disc that serves as a
wonderful tribute to Allison, but it does more than that. It makes
sure that the voice of the legendary bluesman, though silenced in
death, sings on for generations to come. If history is indeed fair,
our children’s children will still turn to recordings like
Live In Chicago and ask us, “Why don’t they make music like
that anymore?”