Bobby Rush Rawer Than Raw

Bobby Rush
Rawer Than Raw
Deep Rush Records/ Thirty Tigers

It has been quite a few years since Bobby Rush's prior acoustic blues album, "Raw," was issued. "Rawer Than Raw" is another album of unplugged blues from the blues legend. On this release, just Bobby Rush with his voice, guitar, harmonica, and foot stomp, performing songs in tribute to Mississippi's blues heritage. Several of these songs come some of the greatest artists from that state, including Skip James, Skip James, Robert Johnson (Elmore James), Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson with several originals.

Classic blues recordings have always influenced Rush's music. He often reworked them when performing and recording. This influence is present with some of the originals here. One example is "Down in Mississippi," a reworking of J.B. Lenoir's "Mojo Boogie." Here and elsewhere Rush shows himself to be a more than adequate guitarist and harmonica player. Also, the robustness of his vocal belies his age.

There is also a capable, if not outstanding, rendition of Skip James "Hard Times." Howlin' Wolf appears to have left a deep impression on Rush, not merely in versions of "Smokestack Lightning" and "Shake It For Me." Wolf's influence also is heard in Rush's "Let Me in Your House." It is a one-chord blues with a repeated guitar riff with Rush's foot-stomping, adding to a mesmeric feel. Rush also performs an enjoyable jaunty reworking of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Don't Start Me Talking'," with his harmonica overdubbed over his vocal. There is a reflective original "Sometimes I Wonder," along with a spirited "Dust My Broom."

There is a consistent, entertaining quality in these performances. Bobby Rush shows himself a capable instrumentalist and invests considerable passion in his vocals on an entertaining album.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is a promo for this recording.