Buddy Guy: Ain’t Done With The Blues Review
Buddy Guy will turn 89 on July 30 but the champion icon of Chicago blues is showing no signs of slowing down.
He’s still touring and recording, all the while managing to keep alive the messages and music laid down by the past blues masters and at the same time creating a new future for the genre. And he produces albums like any good blues festival should be presented – something for everyone.
His new album, Ain’t Done With The Blues, packages this mission perfectly and, with 18 tracks, it is a substantial inventory of the art form now left to Guy’s curation. In fact, if scholars were looking to teach a course on the blues, this album could serve as the entire curriculum. The album also reunites the Grammy- winning team of Tom Hambridge and Guy.
Several themes run throughout the tome. The history and meaning of the blues, fine examples of the genre, and Guy’s own unique memories are packaged into a fine catalogue wrapped in superior production and first-rate musicianship. And thrown into the mix is some contemporary work indicating where the blues may be headed.
From his home-base Nashville, producer/writer/drummer Hambridge has assembled a top notch team of musicians for this project. Besides superstar guests, Joe Walsh, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and the Blind Boys of Alabama, the album includes superb session artists Max Abams on saxophone, Kevin McKendree and Mike Rojas on keys, Steve Patrick on trumpet, Glen Worf on Bass and Rob McNelley with additional guitar.
And if that power-packed lineup wasn’t enough, the album also includes former Jeff Beck bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, and Chuck Leavell of the Allman Brothers on B3 and Wurlitzer.
There’s little doubt the initial single, “How Blues is That,” already enjoying extensive airplay, was intentionally released first. Featuring classic Joe Walsh on slide guitar and vocals, it captures some of Guy’s personal reflections while promising the listener that this album definitely is the blues. Two other tracks, “Been There, Done That,” and “It Keeps Me Young,” also carry this personal perspective from Guy. The former loudly proclaims, ‘I’m still alive and well,’ and the latter furthers the personal-history theme as it echoes that sound of early Chicago Blues. It features Frampton on guitar and vocals.
Continuing with the theme of Guy’s memoirs, “I Don’t Forget,” is a dark recounting of past injustices, perhaps sparked by the current ugly resurgence of racism and bigotry. A track entitled “Upside Down,” also carries a state-of-the-world theme but with a fun upbeat tempo and fine guitar work.
With Guy, and other A-list guitarists, Bonamassa, Walsh, Kingfish and Frampton, the album could not possibly miss and it delivers for those looking to hear some top quality blues guitar.
In concert Guy likes to regale his audience with some banter and brief samples of the tunes and styles of his peers – sometimes to excess – so it’s not surprising that on this album he offers a smattering of that musical buffet. But here it includes only brief homages to John Lee Hooker, opening with “Hooker Thing,” and “One From Lightnin’,” referencing the influence of Lightnin’ Hopkins.
Guy also pays tribute to others like BB King and Jimmy Reed, explaining that blues doesn’t have to be somber and, in fact, when playing or singing them, “Blues Chase the Blues Away,” which was released as the second single.
Among the group of songs providing great examples of blues styles are “Dry Stick,” a slow ballad featuring Bonamassa and some good advice – when you get something, give something back. “Blues On Top” is another classic slow-blues offering while “Love On a Budget” showcases a traditional blues shuffle and “Trick Bag” is a fun Earl King tune about the classic cheating woman. “I Got Sumpn’ For You” is also an upbeat, danceable tune originally from Guitar Slim (Eddie Jones). Recalling deep-south bayou elements, “Swamp Poker” adds another fun, up-tempo original composition from Hambridge to the mix.
Another definite highlight of the album is a tune entitled, “Where U At.” After touring together, Guy again teamed up with young phenom “Kingfish” Ingram and proves he’s still moving ahead with a song that points to the future of the blues with a funky, futuristic feel.
Writers Hambridge and Richard Fleming contributed the bulk of the work on the album and they didn’t forget about the importance of Gospel music on the blues. Here, Guy teams up with the Blind Boys of Alabama to proclaim, “Jesus Loves The Sinner.” Additional writing credits on the album go to Gary Nicholson and Jimmy Tennant.
“Send Me Some Loving,” the John S. Marascalco, Leo Price composition, captures the sound of a classic 50s stroll and Guy even picks up a 1958 Fender Stratocaster for further authenticity. Finishing the album is a cover of J.B. Lenoir’s classic, “Talk To Your Daughter.”
History will no doubt cite Guy among the last of his peers, the greatest blues generation. And, with this album, he’s accepted that responsibility and created a record that will rightfully be deemed “historic.”
The Review: 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Blues Chase the Blues Away
– Been There Done That
– Where U At
– It Keeps Me Young
– Dry Stick
– How Blues Is That