Review: Bobby 'Blue' Bland (et al)

Photos by Chuck France/Special to The Star 

The Midland Theater was steeped in the blues this weekend. After hosting legendary guitarists B.B. King and Buddy Guy on Friday, the venerable venue featured six blues vocalists on Saturday.

Bobby "Blue" Bland, arguably the greatest singer in the history of the blues, was the most storied of the six artists on the bill. Yet his brief appearance Saturday only intimated at his former glories. Bland, 80, required assistance to and from the stage and remained seated throughout his 30-minute performance.

Backed by a nimble seven-piece band, Bland laboriously offered an extended medley of a handful of his innumerable hits from a recording career that commenced in 1951. It was a mixed bag.

He struggled on "That's the Way Love Is" and seemed to lose his way during "Members Only." One moment, however, was extraordinary. Although his power is greatly diminished, Bland was always more than merely the owner of a great voice. On "Stormy Monday Blues" he demonstrated that he's retained his exquisite sense of phrasing and a rare ability to convey an almost terrifying sense of despair. His performance won't be forgotten anytime soon by the audience of approximately 1,000.

Blues purists might be horrified to learn that Bland, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, ceded headlining status to an artist whose biggest hit is titled "Candy Licker." Marvin Sease's signature song is a study in vulgarity. In classic rhythm and blues tradition, however, Sease juxtaposed earthly desires with spiritual testimony. His constant back-and-forth from sacred to profane rendered Sease's set entertaining, if not exactly memorable.

 
Bobby Rush was even lewder. Accompanied by two remarkably curvaceous women, Rush's dancing, leaping and leering made his performance the best of the night. Rush, 69, has been doing the same trash-talking schtick for years. A superb showman, Rush manages to keep his raunchy gags fresh.

 
Shirley Brown matched the impertinence of her male tour mates. She didn't hesitate to fill a recent hit ("I've Got To Sleep With One Eye Open") and a classic gem ("Woman to Woman") with sly innuendos. Her distinctive Southern-tinged voice remains gorgeous. Floyd Taylor looks and sounds like his late father, soul great Johnnie Taylor. His turn in the spotlight felt somewhat stale, but much of the audience sighed nostalgically at many of Taylor's selections. The sleek set of O.B. Buchana jump-started the evening with good-natured songs about drinking and cheating.

Although it was billed as a festival, the event could more accurately be characterized as a review. With six artists performing in three hours, the format didn't allow any of the performers to fully showcase their talents. As a survey of the inconsistent state of today's soul-oriented blues scene, however, the concert was entirely successful.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star