Showing posts with label soul blues chicago style. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soul blues chicago style. Show all posts

Monday, February 2, 2015

Dave Specter, Message in Blue

Dave Specter has a bunch of albums out but for some reason I have not heard them. That all is remedied with his latest, Message in Blue (Delmark 836). He heads a unit that does the soul blues in the best Chicago style, which means there are horns, electricity and grooves in no small supply.

I am somehow reminded of classic Paul Butterfield in the cohesiveness of the band, the dynamic presence of Specter's very excellent blues guitar stylizing and the electricity of it all. Now I am not saying Dave sounds like Bloomfield or Bishop, but he has his own way that goes far to parallel the noteful excellence of those players, but with his own reverb-drenched power.

Brother John Kaatke on keyboards is central and does some excellent vocalizing, as does Otis Clay.

The tunes stay with you and grow in your head, with a few classics and some new ones by Dave, all good.

This is contemporary Chicago Blues in the capital "B" sense, with authentic drive and a relation to past greats. I am digging the album very much. I can't see how a few spins won't find you there, too, if the blues is important to you!