Artist: Rob Blaine
Album: Rob Blaine's Big Otis Blues
Genre: Chicago Blues
Origin: USA
Released: 2010
Quality: mp3, 320 kbps
Tracklist:
- Not The Forgiving Kind (00:03:14)
- Only Mine (00:04:28)
- Affection And Pain (00:03:38)
- Same Old Blues (00:04:35)
- Hour Glass Baby (00:02:57)
- Gone, Not Forgot (00:03:48)
- Trouble (00:04:20)
- Can't Help But Wonder (00:07:14)
- Must Be Nice (00:05:03)
- Find A Way (00:05:56)
- Don't Bum Down The Bridges (00:02:52)
- Must Be Nice (Acoustic) (00:04:20)
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Chicago has long been a city associated with guitar stringers. From the post-war migration that electrified and urbanized the genre with artists like Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers and the Howlin’ Wolf, through the disco/funk inflected ‘70s and ‘80s, a long line of (primarily male) guitarists have defined our sound. The latest crop have blended rock’s reverb, funk’s grooves and metal’s speed, delivering a loud, in-your-face, insistent brand of hot leaded howling that is unlike anything previously thought of as “Chicago Blues”. Rob Blaine epitomizes that mix.
Growing up in Grand Rapids, MI, Rob Blaine knew what he wanted to do from the first blues track he heard on his Dad’s stereo. He got a guitar and made for Chicago, earning his way into the scene by working as a doorman at local blues clubs, listening and learning from the artists onstage. He toured with the late great Little Milton and currently plays with the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings (of which Gene “Daddy G” Barge is a member). Rob paid his dues and honed his guitar chops on the viciously competitive local blues scene and has emerged as its latest and strongest voice
With his band Big Otis Blues, Rob has roared onto the national scene, winning the 2010 Windy City Blues Society Challenge, taking third place in the International Blues Challenge band finals in Memphis and winning the Albert King Award for Best Guitarist. His youth, fire and energy come blasting out of the speakers, in both his live shows and on this record, demanding your attention! This is not your Grandpa’s blues or even your father’s. This is music from a young man, serious as a heart attack, with a message: “Listen to me, I’ve got important things to say!”
Ten of the twelve songs on this disc were written by Big Rob. The message is a positive one for the most part: live and let live, don’t assume you know me by how I look. One exception, Don Nix’s standard “Same Old Blues”, is a masterful vehicle for Rob, who plays impassioned guitar and sings with heartfelt sincerity on this gospel-tinged slow blues hybrid. Rob’s voice, a rich, husky baritone, serves him well on both funk/rock belters like the first version of “Must Be Nice” (there are two takes on the song) and on soulful ballads like “Find A Way.” But make no mistake: this is a GUITAR CD from a GUITAR PLAYER.
Rob Blaine’s Big Otis Blues is a sonic environment that caters to two basic themes. The first being funky, rocked- up, “tell it like it is” grooves (“Not the Forgiving Kind,” “Hourglass Baby,” “Trouble”) are ably supported by power house drummer James Knowles. He and bassist Jowaun “Man” Scott, (who hails from the renowned South Side musical Scott family) jump out of the box on the first beat of “Not the Forgiving Kind,” and don’t let up until the last note has died. The clean, energetic rhythm section lays an insistent pulse for Rob’s throbbing, wah-wah-ing guitar. It’s a carefully crafted recipe, one-part Hendrix, one-part Buddy Guy with a dash of Stevie Ray and a splash of Chico Banks. The CD’s many guitar solos sing on a lush bed of organ played by Gary Gary [sic] and sparkling piano courtesy of Ariyo Sumito Ariyoshi.
The other side of Rob Blaine favors slower, gospel infused ballads. The one song that deviates from this pattern is “Gone Not Forgot,” a swampy, acoustic, slide guitar tune. It’s a refreshing break from the electric wall of sound, rather like a bite of lemon sorbet between rich courses in a meal.
Rob Blaine’s Big Otis Blues wraps with a nice acoustic reprise of “Must Be Nice.” The overall effect is a haunting, lingering mood that begs for a replay. This is a fine first effort from a young man with a bright future.
By Liz Mandeville