Eddie "The Chief" Clearwater showed up at Jefferson Hall Feb. 12 with three sticks of dynamite and a Mean
Case of the Blues. After the dust settled, it was obvious that he and his
wrecking crew blew the lid off the joint. Clearwater, a southpaw veteran guitarist
born in the Mississippi Delta and transplanted to Chicago's West Side in1950, was in town
with bandmates John Hill (guitar), Hassan Khan (bass) and Jerry Porter (drums), delivering
their distinctive blend of amplified Chicago blues and Chuck Berry-style rock 'n' roll to
promote their latest Rounder / Bullseye Blues Release, Mean Case of the Blues.
The band, minus Eddy, warmed things up with a blistering rendition of R.G. Ford's "Crosscut Saw," made famous by
another Chicago southpaw, Otis Rush. Then, in his flamboyant attire, Clearwater took
the stage.
Standouts from the set included the Clearwater original "Don't Take My Blues" from Mean Case of the Blues,
"I'm a Bad Mamma Jama from Birmingham," which is slated to appear on his new
record, and the thunderous readings of Chuck Berry's "Carol" and the Kenny
Bourrell instrumental, "Chitlins Con Carne."
After a brief intermission, Clearwater took the stage in a full headdress. The second set brought with it ground-shaking
versions of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Mary Had A Little Lamb," Muddy Waters'
"Hootchie Coochie Man," and Otis Rush's "All Your Love (I Miss
Loving)," to mention a few.
The concert marked Clearwater's one year anniversary after bypass surgery, and from the magnificent performance it is clear that
his heart is obviously healthy and certainly in the right place.
Return to Reviews
Return to Performance Reviews
