Otis Rush - Troubles Troubles

This is a review that I wrote in Fall 2006 and published in the November-December 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 288). I will be posting other reviews from this every few days in next couple weeks.

Universal Music on the Verve label has released the second batch of CDs in its series, The Sonet Blues Story. These sides make available albums from the 1970s that were issued in Europe on the Sonet label although some were imported in the United States and some were even issued in the US, as GNP-Crescendo issued The Legacy of the Blues recordings stateside. This latest batch includes more from that series along with other albums that Samuel Charters had produced for Sonet. I will be posting these reviews every few days. 

Otis Rush’s volume, subtitled Troubles, Troubles, is being released for the first time in its original form. Alligator had leased it, but Bruce Iglauer edited the solos and added “noisy keyboard” (quoting Sam Charters in his notes here), was retitled as Lost in the Blues, but there was a very critical reaction including from Rush (I seem to recall).

This 1977 Swedish session was with Rush’s band at the time with Bob Levis on second guitar, Bob Strokes on bass and Jesse Green on drums tackling a diverse repertoire including Jimmy Reed’s Baby What You Want Me to Do, You’ve Been an Angel, and You Don’t Have to Go; Willie Dixon’s Little Red Rooster; B.B. King’s Whole Lotta Lovin’ (actually Please Love Me) and Troubles, Troubles; Albert King’s Got to Be Some Changes Made; and Little Milton’s Same Old Blues (on which drummer sings). Alternate takes of You Been an Angel and Same Old Blues are included. 

The song selection is mostly covers of some well known songs with Rush sounding relaxed and soulful (Little Red Rooster suggests more of Sam Cooke’s influence than Howlin’ Wolf) with plenty of solid guitar. Rush’s admiration for Albert King is evident from the opening notes of a strong rendition of Albert King’s Got to Be Some Changes Made, and he throws quite a bit of passion into Hold That Train. 

This may not be an essential Rush album, but it is a very good ‘un and the release in this untampered form is most welcome. 

I likely received a review copy from Jazz & Blues Report. This may be available used or as a download. Here is Otis Rush in performance.

Otis Rush Hot Live Wise Fools Blues

Otis Rush has long been one of this writer’s favorite artists. Few artists could be as compelling as Rush when he was on his game. Unfortunately a stroke suffered during the last decade ended his musical career, but a good portion of his recordings are in print. Rush, as he matured, showed a strong Albert King influence in his playing to complement his anguished sounding vocals, a point I do not highlight in the following review but should have. The following review appeared in the June 2006 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 283)

News of a previously unissued live recording of Otis Rush from the mid-seventies created much excitement among blues enthusiasts. Rush, a Mississippi native, moved to Chicago and became part of the West Side Chicago blues scene playing some blistering guitar and singing with great fervor.


One of many blues artists in the post-B.B. King style, Rush's first recording for the Cobra label, I Cant Quit You Baby, charted on the R&B charts, and was followed by early recordings including All Your Love (I Miss Loving), My Love Will Never Die, and Three Times a Fool. After the Cobra label folded, he briefly was on Chess and then Don Robey signed him but only issued one single, Homework. Many of these songs have become part of the modern blues repertoire and covered by such blues-rock acts as John Mayall, Led Zeppelin and J. Geils. He was one of the artists featured on the legendary Chicago, The Blues Today series and has had a number of albums issued over the past three decades.


Delmark issued Cold Day in Hell in the mid-1970s and it had received a fair amount of airplay on rock station WXRT which led to WXRT recording and broadcasting Rush in performance from Chicago's Wise Fools Pub in January 1976. Now about three decades later, this performance is available for all blues lovers on a new Delmark CD, All Your Love I Miss Loving. Featuring his superb band of the time with Bob Levis on second guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, Jesse Green on drums and Alberto Gianquinto (ex-James Cotton, ex-Santana) on piano, Rush is in superb form opening with B.B. Kings Please Love Me and redoing his All Your Love and It Takes Time as well other songs from King, T-Bone Walker and Chuck Willis. To hear Rush, one of the most intense guitarists in the blues laying out his soul singing You're Breaking My Heart, or rearranging T-Bone Walkers Mean Old World to the melody of I Cant Quit You Baby, one is treated to a performance that will reaffirm for many of us why we love the blues, to paraphrase Steve Tomashefsky’s liner notes.


Few blues artists put as much soul into their performances and reach the level that Rush at his best achieved, and he was at his best that January 1976 night at the Wise Fools Pub.

I received my review copy from Delmark.

Otis Rush Riveting Live Blues

Otis Rush is one of the legends of modern Chicago blues. The following review of a then previously unissued live performance by Rush from 1976 that Delmark issued 30 years later. The review originally appeared (I have made some edits) in the February 2006 issue of Jazz & Blues Report (issue 279) and was part of a longer review of Delmark reissues. This performance is a year or two prior to when I first had the opportunity to see him live at the Village Gate and wills ay that I have never seen anybody put on a more powerful live performance than Otis at his best. Rush who suffered a stroke several years ago will likely never perform again which is the music world’s loss, so recordings such as this which showcase him at the height of his powers should be treasured. This should be relatively easy to find from blues retailers.


News of a previously unissued live recording of Otis Rush from the mid-seventies created much excitement among blues enthusiasts. Rush, a Mississippi native, moved to Chicago and became part of the West Side Chicago blues scene playing some blistering guitar and singing with great fervor. One of many blues artists in the post-B.B. King style, Rush’s first recording for the Cobra label, I Cant Quit You Baby, charted on the R&B charts, and was followed by early recordings including All Your Love (I Miss Loving), My Love Will Never Die, and Three Times a Fool. After the Cobra label folded, he briefly was on Chess and then Don Robey signed him but only issued one single, Homework.


Many of Rush’s recordings have become part of the modern blues repertoire and covered by such blues-rock acts as John Mayall, Led Zeppelin and J. Geils. Rush was one of the artists featured on the legendary Chicago, The Blues Today series and has had a number of albums issued over the past three decades. Delmark issued Cold Day in Hell in the mid-1970s and it had received a fair amount of airplay on rock station WXRT which led to WXRT recording and broadcasting Rush in performance from Chicago’s Wise Fools Pub in January 1976.


Now about three decades later, this performance is available for all blues lovers on a new Delmark CD, All Your Love I Miss Loving. Featuring his superb band of the time with Bob Levis on second guitar, Bob Stroger on bass, Jesse Green on drums and Alberto Gianquinto (ex-James Cotton, ex-Santana) on piano, Rush is in superb form opening with B.B. King’s Please Love Me and redoing his All Your Love and It Takes Time as well other songs from King, T-Bone Walker and Chuck Willis. To hear Rush, one of the most intense guitarists in the blues, laying out his soul singing You’re Breaking My Heart, or rearranging T-Bone Walkers Mean Old World to the melody of I Cant Quit You Baby, one is treated to a performance that will reaffirm for many of us why we love the blues, to paraphrase Steve Tomashefsky’s liner notes.


Few blues artists put as much soul into their performances and reach the level that Rush at his best achieved, and he was at his best that January 1976 night at the Wise Fools Pub.

My review copy was provided by Delmark Records.