Chicago Blues: A LIVING HISTORY: Press

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"...21 tracks of gorgeous blues. Will undoubtably challenge for blues recording honors this year. A tremendous project that ought to be a finalist in a few awards categories. Chicago Blues: A Living History is just a joy to listen to (and to look at), and it is without a doubt a recording that you will return to -- even if you have all the originals... Sonically superb and carefully conceived".

"...There are many blues bands who lovingly recreates Chicago blues staples, none, however comes close to this superb collection. By assembling a band thoroughly steeped in the city’s blues traditions and by featuring four leaders, Primer, Arnold, Bell, and Branch, who come with the essential DNA to be cloned as the masters, this becomes a living history which breathes new life into the blues we love. If you can only buy one blues record in 2009, make it this one."

"This excellent double-CD finds a collection of first-rate contemporary Chicago players, some with roots going back to artists active in the peak years of the ’50s and ’60s, laying down a veritable history of Windy City blues and covering everyone from Sonny Boy Williamson to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, Jimmy Reed, Buddy Guy…it’s a helluva list. Why not just put out an anthology of the original artists playing these tunes? Because this approach shows the vitality of the music today, and how new interpretations by different players steeped in the styles of their forerunners can bring out previously unheard dimensions of the Chicago blues sound..everything here is cool, at the same time it’s undeniably hot."

"...Vibrant and satisfying!"

"One day, a day was going to come when someone produced a serious tribute to the evolution of the Chicago Blues sound. That day has come.
A superb tribute that makes up for the absence, the lack of a real homage to the Chicago Blues, to its practitioners of the past and present as well as its place in the history of American music of the 20th century. A great production."

“…The opposite of a compilation, this living history of the Chicago blues from 1940 is an ambitious undertaking that could prove to be an important reference for the genre… An astonishing success that bets on the future of this music…A meeting of the masters.”

4**** - The first two generations of electric Chicago blues are either dead or on the endangered list, but this double-disc set proves the style still has teeth and claws. Especially when John Primer revs his guitar like a turbine to pay tribute to Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters, and fellow six-stringer Lurrie Bell howls out Otis Rush's "My Love Will Never Die" as if he were fighting for the genre's life....These performances aren't just retro; they're real."

"The release of this double Cd is an enormous blues event. If a blues fan wants to teach a novice about the Chicago blues they should begin class with this CD."

"What makes this collection special is the fact that not only is this an amazing collection of music performed by an incredible group of musicians, it also brings the music alive in a way that listening to old recordings of these performers doing their songs doesn't...
Anybody who thinks that the blues are a music of the past needs to think again and give this collection a listen. It doesn't matter when any of the material on Chicago Blues A Living History was written, because the music is certainly alive and kicking. If more collections were made along the lines of this one, I don't think you'd ever hear anyone ever wondering about the health of the blues again. Chicago has always been home to some of the most exciting blues music around, and this disc only confirms how exciting and important that music is. Even better is the fact that it reaffirms the blues don't belong in a museum, and are every bit as vital as they ever were."

 

"History lesson or all-star blues session? Chicago Blues: A LIVING HISTORY wants it both ways - and gets it. By assembling a great multi-generational band that nearly spans the history of the genre, producer Larry Skoller insures both fidelity to the historic players and songs celebrated here and a lack of slavishness in the performances. The concise notes on each musician represented, ranging from the original Sonny Boy Williamson to Buddy Guy, serve as both pocket history and buyer’s guide for newcomers. But those steeped in the blues will find that these masterful performances speak eloquently for themselves with no need of further elaboration."

"...an impeccable selection of Chicago-centric blues tunes. If the front men and the outstanding support personnel team up on a live version, it'll be wise to get those tickets early".

"...essential for both newbies to the blues and grizzled veterans who think they've heard it all, this collection fully lives up to its title, and comes highly recommended."

"An engaging, updated introduction to the world of Chicago blues... Captures the musical spirit of the city and traces its development through the past 50 years. This album celebrates the past by breathing new life into it. "

"The first of its Kind...Original. Possesses a warmth similar to the Chess label productions. These are not retro-sounding versions of the originals, they are wonderfully vibrant."

"The ambitious and original idea of this CD needs to be applauded because it wasn't a simple task or an easy bet. But hearing the first very notes, this CD grabs you. Absolutely recommended to (re)discover the Chicago Blues of yesterday and today."

"Chicago Blues: A Living History is an extraordinary offering that is an extremely timely and important recording project. It is a wonderful two-CD opus that is a brilliant tribute to authors of “Chicago Blues” lyrics and music.  It  rescues the perception of blues and these contemporary artists of distinction from anonymity. Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch and Lurrie Bell receives a much deserved affirmation and celebration.  They come across as worthy descendants of “Chicago Blues” masters before them. They are major voices of the idiom. The Living History Band is in the tradition of great “Chicago Blues” bands of Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, James Cotton, Junior Wells, and Magic Slim.  It is one of achievement and distinction."

"Jam-packed, exquisite package of a retrospective of the Windy City’s rich blues history and tradition when placed in the hands of its deepest contemporary translators...If this album doesn’t get nominated for some kind of award or get some special recognition and if everyone out there is JJS land doesn’t buy this album, well there’s something wrong. I was completely blown away. This is a one of a kind tribute album that delivers both the emotional punch and fervor of the originals. Chicago blues is living and continues to in the hands of the greats such as these."

"A must-have for lovers of Chicago blues - lovers of blues in general for that matter. It doesn't come any better than this."

"A veritable Chicago Blues Festival in your own home...What can I say except essential! Rating 10".

"This double set tells the history of the Chicago blues through the talents of first rate real bluesmen who not only know their stuff but have walked the true paths of blues life. Each song, well chosen among historical important blues, is not interpreted – as it is too much often the case nowadays – but played with each musician's own words and styles. Lurrie Bell, John Primer and Billy Branch have long paid their dues to play the blues and singer-harpist Billy Boy Arnold is one of the true creator of the post-war Chicago blues. Undoubtedly, this is the real deal."

"This CD presents the evolution of the Chicago blues as a living history that people continue to perform. That is part of keeping the blues alive, and this 'historic' CD set is very much alive." (San Luis Obispo Blues News)

"...Chicago Blues: A Living History blends the present and the past in a unique fashion. Folks new to the music can take a trip back in time, guided by a legendary group of musicians who are keeping the tradition alive."

"This CD is a delightful musical voyage through the evolving Chicago sound from 40’s up to the present...The songs are good and musicians are outstanding. This is a treat musically and a must have for any blues fan, even those pups that are just starting out on the journey and the blues hasn’t got hold of them completely. Buy the CD!"

"First-class blues musicians. They're not just knocking off covers of some good music -- they're blasting out great old blues in the spirit in which they were created."