Living Chicago Blues, Volume 4

Various Artists

Alligator, 1980

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/23/2025

There is an inherent risk with any compilation that stretches across multiple releases—specifically, the question of whether the best material was saved for the end, or whether it was used up too early, leaving the dregs behind.

For its initial three (or, if you were buying it as a six-record set, five) entries, the Living Chicago Blues series had, for the most part, showcased excellence in the genre among lesser-known artists. So, it’s a relief to report that Living Chicago Blues, Volume Four maintains that level of excellence. The five artists featured here may never have grabbed the brass ring of commercial success, but they show that they deserved the opportunity.

Opening this collection with the one-two punch of Detroit Junior and Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson is, honestly, a killer move. Both artists tear through their four-song sets with power and control, capturing the “genuine houserocking music” ethos that Alligator had preached since their inception. Just listen to Detroit Junior’s piano lines and vocals on “If I Hadn’t Been High,” or Johnson’s vocals and guitar licks on “Just Like Mama Said” or “Somebody Have Mercy.” (It doesn’t hurt that Johnson’s contributions also featured the piano work of Pinetop Perkins.) This set could have featured only these two artists, and it would have been enough for me.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

But, to do that would have done a disservice to Andrew Brown, whose three songs channeled the essence of Jimmy Johnson in his guitar playing—and that is meant as high praise. Listening to songs like “I Got News For You” is like slipping on a pair of comfortable shoes.

You can’t really find fault with the remaining two artists; it’s just that their offerings, while good, aren’t quite as strong. Queen Sylvia Embry is impressive enough, but there are times, as on “Tired Of Being Pushed Around,” that there is more than a slight nod to disco in the music—and, while it was the preeminent form of popular music at the time, it’s not necessarily what one expects to hear on a blues record. (Fortunately, those instances are few and far between.)

As for Big Leon Brooks’ Blues Harp Band—no denying it, they’re good, as songs like “Thirteen Years In Prison” and “Country Boy” prove. However, the overall vibe of the band isn’t as strong as other artists’ in the overall collection. (Pinetop Perkins again contributes; however, I might have moved hum further up in the mix to blend with Brooks’s harmonica and vocals.)

In the end, Living Chicago Blues, Volume Four successfully closes out the mission of the entire series. While not every act it featured went on to greater recording success, their efforts were captured among these platters... and for that, we should be grateful.

Rating: B+

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