Comments on: Chicago Blues: A Living History – 2010 Grammy Nominee

By: AJB

AJB — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:20:14 +0000

What’s with this DCore (above), with such a vitriolic attack on Rick Vito and the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band? Vito’s work on The Blue Again album is, as Duane said, simply superb. (Judging by the intensely personal tone of his spew, I wonder if DCore is actually from the ‘cult’ of the California-Pop era of Fleetwood Mac, some of whom still detest Vito for trying to revive the band’s original blues sound.)

The Blue Again album is a joy, and certainly worthy of its nomination.

Personally I was hoping for the Chicago Blues: Living History to win – what a great homage to the heart, soul, blood and guts of Chicago Blues – but I didn’t mind seeing Ramblin’ Jack Elliott take it, with his rich history and decades of great blues. It’s all good.

Great Blog!

By: D Kore

D Kore — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:01:01 +0000

Duane, are you for real? The Mick Fleetwood Blues band is a let down….a big wank. The album is a vanity album of good recordings but on the whole it’s safe and stale where it should have danger and life. The album is like a neo-blues version of painting -by -numbers.

As far as Black Magic Woman goes, …just let it go. Santana and co. pulled it out long ago and hands down does the best version of that song….ever. (sorry Peter)

But what is more of a bummer on this album is that none of the songs are a “new” version of an old standard. There is no new look at these age-old gems and that makes it careless, flippant and decaying. They didn’t “buy” any of these songs and it shows.

The entire album just sounds like tired selections Pro-tooled together. Vito’s guitar playing is passable but not altering or soul- blistering. You get the feeling that you’ve heard all these looks and licks before.

As for the singing,Vito’s voice is thin and meek (autotune) and in concert he’s a giant let down on the mic and should stay clear of posing as a Frontman for a blues act. Vito is not believable and tosses out words as mere filler between his soloing and doodling. Vito can not and does not do both instruments justice.

Even the famed Fleetwood doesn’t stand out as any thing new or interesting. Many of his parts sound phoned-in and there’s a missing Fleetwood element that his playing is noted for. Some of the his other mates perform like any other hired guns: whacking away and offering no real meat.

All in all, the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band is dull, boring and forgetful. Someone should tells these old well-to-doers
that you can’t fake the blues, even if you once had the blues way back when….

By: Duane

Duane — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:14:27 +0000

Speaking of Best Traditional Blues Album Grammy Nominees, I almost missed The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band because I tend to focus on discovering new (to me) contemporary blues artists. Mick Fleetwood returns to his first love – the blues. Blues Again plays homage to several old Peter Green standards and frontman Rick Vito is simply superb on vocals and guitar. Vito’s interpretation of Black Magic Woman [8:38] is a highlight and one of best I have ever heard. Blues Again is just straight-up blues-rock played by old pros who are steadily whittling away the rock to get closer to a purer blues. Notes: This is a mostly a “live” album recorded at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, Missouri in February of 2008. The Blues Again [Import] version has 3 bonus songs including Green’s The Supernatural.

Happy Trails, Duane

By: Alan Eisenberg

Alan Eisenberg — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:01:07 +0000

Well I was lucky enough to live in Chi Town and got to go to the southside to the great blues clubs. On Maxwell st, they’d get together and jam. I loved seein’ Buddy Guy and Junior Wells at my leisure.I just love the Chicago sound and the music it has inspired.. To this very day, I gotta get up and dance when I hear it. Thanks BB for spotlighting this.

By: The Blues Blogger

The Blues Blogger — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:13:29 +0000

Thanks for all your comments… Just so there is no confusion, the 52nd Annual Grammys on Jan 31,2010 is for eligible recordings from October 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009…

A brief post this time around, but an important one.