Day four of the Chicago Blues Festival ended on a high note despite a rain delay and a highly anticipated act being cut. The reality is that Mavis Staples was the big draw for the day. Why else would thousands of people stuff themselves into the Millennium Park garages to wait out a rain delay? It was supposed to be a lulu of a storm, so out of an abundance of caution, the Millennium Park official asked the crowd to either leave the park immediately or take shelter in the garage. I think that the majority of the crowd was distributed in the garages. We waited almost an hour before the okay was given to resume.
The rain started just as the setup for Chess Records' 75th anniversary celebration was underway. Chess Records was the anchor for what was known as Record Row in the 1950s. Leonard and Phil Chess are credited with putting a constellation of blues and R&B artists on the map and the radio. The segment was hosted by Janine Judge, executive director of the Willie Dixon Blues Foundation, and Dixon's daughter, Jacqueline Dixon.
Some of the Chess family descendants were introduced at the outset, and that should have been enough. Get on with the music. However, Judge and Dixon introduced every act with a bit of history and anecdotes. It took up too much time, and I would wager that this crowd knew the history of Chess and most, if not all, of the great people who recorded at 2120 South Michigan Avenue. In my mind's eye, I could see every one of the labels that came out of Chess Records: Checkers, Argo, Vee-Jay, and Cadet. I remember the '45s sitting in a metal rack with the adapters strewn about. If there had not been so many anecdotes and donation requests, C.J. Chenier and The Red Hot Louisiana Band would have been able to do a set.
It was nice to see the children and grandchildren of Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, and Howlin' Wolf, and I believe that they enjoyed basking in the love the fans had for their parents. Mud Morganfield has a strong resemblance to his father, Muddy Waters. Morganfield's act was singing Muddy's greatest hits. He sang "Rolling Stone" (Hoochie Coochie Man) and "I Just Want to Make Love to You". It was a reasonable facsimile elevated by Steve Bell on his harmonica.
Chicagoan Joe Barr sang two of my favorites. He is known for tributes to other soul acts, such as Teddy Pendergrass, and just the right touch of gravel in his voice. He sang The Dells' hit, "Oh What A Night," and Little Milton's "We're Gonna Make It". Alonzo Jones was a blast singing Howlin' Wolf's "Spoonful" and "Smokestack Lightning." Jones effectively portrayed a menacing persona, complete with a black cowboy hat and a sleeveless vest, encouraging the crowd to howl.
Minnie Collier sang a different version of her hit, "I Had a Talk with My Man Last Night." She is now Reverend Minnie Collier and has changed "Man" to "God" because of a miraculous healing in her life. She was pure nostalgia and put a pause on the blues vibe. Most of the singers being celebrated sang at places like Bucket O' Blood, where the floor was covered with sawdust to soak up various fluids. There were several Bucket O' Blood bars, but as a child, I was regaled with stories of the one near my grandparents on Kedzie. Collier and the quartet of singers made me feel like I was at a revival, as if I needed to repent.
Maxwell Street's prodigy, Melvin Taylor, played a short set. He is a pyrotechnic guitarist, playing lots of notes up and down the fretboard with speed and accuracy. Taylor was delayed in getting on the stage for some reason. Janelle Judge let the crowd know that she and Dixon were Taylor's managers. She could have saved that for another time, as well as her Pigmeat Markham "Here Come De Judge" play on her name. Simbryt Dortch did a lovely rendition of Fontella Bass' "Rescue Me." Dortch sounded a lot like Bass, leaning more into the R&B genre than the blues.
Chuck Berry's son and grandson (Charles and Charley) did "Johnny B. Goode" with the iconic duckwalk. At that point, I was tired of the nepotism parade, the anecdotes, and the calls for donations and volunteers. I was also miffed because the chatter added at least half an hour to the tribute. While the celebration was merited, perhaps they should have left the announcing to Legendary DJ Tom Marker, who hosted all four evenings of the festival. It was an off-kilter part of the programming that should have been tightened up. I would have liked to have seen fewer people and more singing. I think that the children and grandchildren performing was a schtick that could have been dropped. Their parents lived and sang the blues, so they could occasionally play at it on stage, and soak in adulation by proxy.
Lurrie Bell and Frank Catalano played the set before Mavis Staples. It was a good set, with Catalano adding a smooth touch to the rough and tumble hits, such as "Crosscut Saw" and "Big Legged Woman." Steve Bell (no relation) took the stage with his harmonica, putting the perfect amount of rough back into the set. Steve Bell was blowing that harp like a chainsaw. It was an impressive sound that demonstrated Bell's improvisational prowess and complemented Catalano's alto sax. Lurrie Bell stretched their set with the same extended guitar and drum riff at the end of every song.
The skies cleared, and the crowd was back in full force for Mavis Staples to hit the stage. Staples started singing in the church, and her earthy alto elevates every song she does to a soulful hymn. The Staples Singers were with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. His favorite song was "Why? (Am I Treated So Bad)," of which Staples did a rousing version.
I was transported to watching Soul Train when it started in Chicago on Channel 26. "Sha-Na-Boom Boom (Heavy Makes You Happy)" was a popular song for the group dance, aka the Soul Train Line. Staples has an excellent band and backup singers who did justice to every song. Singers Kelly Hogan and Saundra Williams blended beautifully with Staples. Rick Holmstrom is her lead guitarist, and Staples affectionately nicknamed him "Pops Jr." Holmstrom sings the Pops Staples parts and plays a delicious blend of R&B and Gospel guitar.
Staples was in a reflective mood and also had a moment of "getting the Spirit." She called out to her father, "Daddy, I am the last in the line" as they sang, "Far Celestial Shore." She told the crowd never to look back and to keep marching for love, peace, and justice. When she sang "Respect Yourself", everyone knew the words and grooved along with the band.
It was more than nostalgia. It was a blessing to the crowd. I saw some tears and shed a couple of my own. Staples brought back memories of when we were better as a nation, unified in our naivety and belief that the world could evolve into that "City in the Sky." Pride, flower power, justice, peace, and big dreams were encapsulated in a 40-minute set. I think that the crowd would have gladly stayed for more, but as Mavis Staples waved a gracious goodnight to everyone, we knew it was the perfect amount. One of my fellow press corps said, "This performance and music is the perfect time and the perfect place for what the world needs now." That gets another amen. Mavis Staples is the genuine article—a soulful voice without artifice, and the music courses through her veins. It was history in the making.
You can read the rest of our Chicago Blues Festival coverage at the following links:
- Dispatch: An Old School Icon and a Contemporary Blues Master Kick Off Chicago Blues Festival at Ramova Theatre
- Dispatch: Neighbors from the North, Guitars,and Memories of Street Corner Concerts in Day 2 of Blues Festival
- Dispatch: The Mississippi Delta, Juke Joints, Tributes, and a Prodigy at Millennium Park—It’s Day 3 of the Blues Festival
