Bobby Rush has been playing the blues since 1951, but it took him half a century to come to the attention of the mainstream. Half a century of performing in small clubs all around the US, making a name as the King of the Chitlin' Circuit but being ignored by the public at large, until his show was filmed by Martin Scorsese for his documentary series: The Blues: A Musical Journey. What's the Chitlin' Circuit you ask? Well, that was initially a network of live music venues catering to the entertainment needs of African Americans whom racial segregation laws excluded from entering mainstream clubs. It included a few famous places like Harlem's Apollo Theatre, but mostly consisted of countless taverns and juke joints scattered throughout the Southern United States. With the repeal of Jim Crow laws, the most talented of the artists working the circuit (e.g. Billie Holiday, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Ike & Tina Turner) graduated to international stardom, but some like Bobby Rush never did - not necessarily due to lack of talent. Born in Mississippi in 1933, learning his trade next to Elmore James, and hanging around with Muddy Waters and Little Walter in Chicago, his is the quintessential original bluesman story - except that wasn't idolized by famous British rock stars, who didn't take him along with them to play big festivals in Europe. Instead, he kept playing the blues for black audiences in rural America, adding a lot of funk to his music to keep up with the changing tastes of his clientele. Since his belated LP debut in 1979, Rush has released numerous albums, but it's obvious that his real element is the stage: the way he delivers his lines, all the jokes and double entendres, are obviously written with a live audience in mind. Physically, he's quite the character: a dapper octogenarian with slick black curly hair and mustache, big gleaming white smile, and colorful, strass-studded shiny jackets, he never fails to grab attention. Porcupine Meat was his first release on respected folk label Rounder Records, a very well-produced record, recorded in New Orleans with some of the best local players, as well as some A-class guests: Joe Bonamassa, Dave Alvin and Keb Mo’ appear in one song each; good as they are, their biggest contribution isn't their guitar solos but their name on the album's back cover, a sort of endorsement for their fans. Above all, the slick production and famous guests never outshine the charismatic singer, The music is a mix of swampy blues and straight-ahead funk, with a prominent brass section. Opener "I Don’t Want Nobody Hanging Around" kicks off the album with a funky bass riff reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition". It's about a jealous man, a theme revisited on the self-explanatory "I Think Your Dress Is Too Short". Rush isn't the kind of singer to provide deep introspection or political commentary; most of the songs revolve around lust or infidelity, and are rich in sexual innuendo ("Snake In The Grass", Nighttime Gardener", "Catfish Stew" etc.). On occasion, he blows a mean blues harp (e.g. on "Catfish Stew"), while there are also a couple of typical blues ballads ("Got Me Accused", "Me, Myself And I"). Unlike like most contemporary blues heroes, he doesn't play the guitar (at least not here, even though he poses with one), but he has an excellent collaborator in his own band's Vasti Jackson, plus of course the illustrious guest guitarists mentioned earlier. Drummer Jellybean Alexander lays down a nice funky backbeat to James Brown-like "Funk O’ De Funk", while closer "I’m Tired" is a semi-acoustic downhome number a la Taj Mahal (the singer, not the monument). Mostly though, what we have here is upbeat R&B - reminiscent of contemporary work of Albert Collins or Robert Cray, but with an added New Orleans flavor, and with Rush's trademark scabrous vocal delivery and humor. Porcupine Meat was a commercial success, and earned the artist his first Grammy Award at the age of 82 (two more were to follow). As I said, it doesn't stand out a lot from other contemporary rhythm and blues albums, except maybe lyrically. But it's well produced, played, sung, and follows all the time honored tropes of the genre. It should make for an enjoyable listening for any blues/soul lover, except maybe for the staunchest traditionalists.
**** for Porcupine Meat, Got Me Accused, Catfish Stew
*** for I Don’t Want Nobody Hanging Around, Snake In The Grass, Funk O’ De Funk, Me Myself And I, It’s Your Move, Nighttime Gardener, I Think Your Dress Is Too Short, Standing On Shaky Ground, I’m Tired.
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