Jun 9

Jun 9 Bluesfest 2024--Day 3

Chicago Tourism, Chicago, Festivals, Musicians, Performance, Things to Do in Chicago

“i’ve been around a while
I know wrong from right
And since a long time ago
Things been always black and white
Just like you can’t judge a book by the cover
We all gotta be careful
How we treat one another

[Chorus]
Skin Deep
Skin Deep
Underneath we’re all the same”

— Skin Deep, Buddy Guy, from Skin Deep (2008)

As I was walking toward the Mississippi Juke Joint Stage on the South Promenade, I ran into an acquaintance. Stopping to say hello, I said, “Finally, summer has arrived.” The sky was clear; the temperature was soaring, with the warm air engulfing my body. I should have worn shorts. The perfect day to close out the 40th Annual Chicago Bluesfest.

I was a bit late, but I knew I could still catch some of Southern Comfort’s set. Aside from Vanessa Collier last night, horns have largely been missing in action a this year’s festival; I did see a trumpet adding accents during one set on Friday, but no other trumpets, saxophones, or other brass.

With two trombonists, two trumpeters, a tuba player, and a saxophonist, this Jackson, Mississippi outfit had plenty of firepower. I would have preferred a little more music from a New Orleans funeral processional, but I always enjoy the sounds of trombones and tubas, so I didn’t quibble. Also on hand were a singer and percussionist. The musicians produced a wave of R & B sounds, supported by a great backbeat. I wish I had arrived earlier.

Before shifting to the Pritzker Pavilion for today’s main event, I also caught sets by Anissa Hampton (aka Bigg Sexyy), Jonathan Ellison, Omar Coleman, Melody Angel, Joey J. Jaye, and Nate Manos. I particularly enjoyed Joey Saye’s set, largely because veteran bluesman Bob Stroeger was on bass, with Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith on drums. Those two have been playing together for years, always making the name at the top of the marquee sound better.

In addition to being a great bass player, Stroeger is a gentleman (i.e., super nice guy) who always is appreciative of his many fans. From a photographer’s perspective, Stroeger is a great subject because he takes great care when selecting his wardrobe. Today, we were treated to a face-off between Stroeger and Saye.

Nick Mantos also put together a fun-packed set that featured singer Alicia “Ya Yah” Townsend and two other women who mostly danced. The three women had a Tina Turner-thing going on. Of all the people in the Rosa’s Lounge tent, Mantos seemed to be having the most fun. He never stopped smiling and laughing as the provocatively-clad women danced wildly. In this day and age, I am somewhat hesitant to use the phrase “provocatively-clad,” but the band clearly wanted to project that vibe.

And then there was Melody Angel, who had been part of yesterday’s Centennial Tribute to Dinah Washington. Today, she was able to fully assume the guitar-slinger, Jimi Hendrix posture that she has perfected, including Pete Townsend-style leaps. Not surprisingly, she chose Hendrix’s Hey Joe to showcase her skills. I recall the first year she appeared at Bluesfest. She is still playing the same purpled-rimmed guitar with stickers, but she just keeps getting better each year.

But today was not about the afternoon performances. By 7:30 PM, the great lawn was packed, with all the seats in the Pritzker Pavilion filled. People had turned out to see the night’s headliner, Buddy Guy, on what was one of his last major performances in Chicago. No doubt Guy will continue to show up as his club, but at 87, Guy plans to cutback his public performances because according to him, age is beginning to take its toll in terms of his skills. He told the Chicago Sun-Times that he is concerned that the fans won’t get their money’s worth if he continues to perform at his current pace.

I am not entirely sure that Guy is correct. While his overall physical stature, has hints of frailty, his voice was rock solid, as was his guitar playing.

Like everyone else, I was excited to see Guy put a capstone on his long and distinguished career, but I must confess, he is not my favorite bluesman. In my mind, he has always relied a little too much on the rock ethos.

Despite my reservations, I was looking forward to Guy’s set as well as the two other performances on the bill. In fact, the opening performance—a Centennial Tribute to pianist Otis Spann—topped my list as the best set during this year’s festival. On hand were four crackerjack pianists—Johnny Iguana, Roosevelt Purifoy, Rie “Miss Lee'“ Kanehira, and Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi. Each took a turn at the piano. Of the four, my favorite was Purify, who had a heavy left-hand and who repeatedly danced across the keys with his right-hand, playing crowd-pleasing trills and runs.

Appropriately, Stroger and Smith returned to provide the bottom, guitar ace Billy Flynn added his magic, and Oscar Wilson offered some excellent and very bluesy vocals. Before it was all over, all four pianists simultaneously took the keyboard—each presumably allotted 22 keys.

Unfortunately, Spann did not leave behind lots of recorded material under his own name. But the four pianists certainly filled the gap—at least for today.

Following the Spann tribute, the Cash Box Kings took the stage, with blues harpist and vocalist Joe Nosek out front. Then the veteran Oscar Wilson returned to the stage adding his rich and worldly vocals. The Kings opened with Cash Box Boogie, managing to then work some Chubby Checker into their set. Yes, people in the stands did some twisting, as they had the night before. But it wasn’t all boogie. Joe Nosek did an extended slow blues on the harp, with Flynn adding fills throughout. When I got home, I put the Kings 2023 album, Oscars Motel, on while I transferred files onto my hard drives.

Sometime around 7:45 PM, the long awaited moment arrived. Buddy Guy came out, with DCase Commissioner Clineé Hedspeth reading a proclamation from Mayor Brandon Johnson. She also presented Guy with a large bouquet of flowers. During his set, Guy dropped a lot of F-bombs, apparently hoping to maintain his rough-edged personna. Presumably he was a hard-living bluesman early on, but as he approaches retirement, he has clearly softened. Guy became visibly emotional as he recounted the highlights of his career and thanked his many fans.

He then headed backstage. About ten minutes later, his piano player welcomed him back with a raucous introduction. Guy then launched into Willie-Dixon’s Hoochie Coochie Man. He also paid homage to B.B. King, playing How Blue Can You Get? In a more serious moment, Guy performed Skin Deep, a composition that he penned. The song asks people to look beyond the surface when judging others.

Toward the end of the set, Guy headed into the audience, with a cadre of Chicago Police Officers surrounding him as the the crowd lovingly converged on Guy. I started to follow him, but it was pointless, so I waited for the return trip—as this post’s lead photograph demonstrates, I made the right decision.

When Guy returned to the stage, he plunked his guitar down on a large speaker, and then began to play it using what looked like a large drumstick. Notably, he opted for Cream’s Sunshine of Your Love, a choice that recognizes the symbiotic relationship between Guy and the icons of Rock, like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Jimmy Page, among many others.

The applause was thunderous when Guys’ performance came to an end. The several thousand fans gathered in Millennium Park had seen a legend reflect back on and celebrate an illustrious career, something that doesn’t happen everyday.

[Click on an Image to Enlarge It. The Images Are Not Necessarily in Exact Chronological Order]