BOBBY RUSH

 Bobby Rush (born Emmett Ellis, Jr. in Homer, Louisiana on November 10, 1933) is an American blues musician, composer and singer.His style incorporates elements of blues, rap and funk.

Rush has won twelve Blues Music Awards and in 2017, at the age of 83, he won his first Grammy Award for the album Porcupine Meat. He is inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame.

Rush is the son of Emmett and Mattie Ellis.His father was a pastor whose guitar and harmonica playing provided early musical influences. As a young child he began experimenting with music using a sugarcane syrup bucket and a broom-wire diddley bow. Around 1947, he and the family moved to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where his father took on the pastorate of a church and was a farmer.

It was here that Rush would become friends with Elmore James, the slide player Boyd Gilmore (James's cousin), and the piano player Johnny "Big Moose" Walker; eventually forming a band to support his singing and harmonica and guitar playing. His band, Bobby Rush and the Four Jivers, consisted of Gilmore, Walker, Pinetop Perkins, and Robert Plunkett. Through Gilmore, Rush became friends with Clarksdale musician Ike Turner

Still a teen, Rush donned a fake moustache to play in local juke joints with the band, fascinated by enthusiasm of the crowds. His family relocated to Chicago in 1953, where he became part of the local blues scene in the following decade. In Chicago, he met and befriended Little Walter and Muddy Waters who lived nearby. Little Walter got him a job at a club called Skins where they played behind a curtain for a white audience. and began working for Jimmy Reed. Through these connections he began performing on a circuit with Etta James, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed.

                                            

In the early 1970s a song he wrote, "Chicken Heads", released by Galaxy, which became his breakout record after being picked up from a small label started by the former Vee Jay Records producer Calvin Carter. It reached #34 the Billboard R&B chart in 1971. "Chicken Heads" would become Rush's first certified gold certified record in 1971, and would later re-enter the Billboard chart 30 years after its release as a result of its feature in the film Black Snake Moan.

Rush later recorded with a leading label for black music, Philadelphia International, releasing his first album, Rush Hour, produced by Leon Huff, with one track, "I Wanna Do the Do," reaching #75 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1979. Reviewing Rush Hour in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "A lot of this is fun—I'm delighted to find Leon Huff collaborating with someone who's got funk in his soul, and heartened to hear a protest song about the problem of lost keys. But a lot of it—the witless 'Evil Is,' the characterless 'Hey, Western Union Man'—is dumber than Kenny Gamble."

His next albums to become gold certified would be Sue in 1981 and Ain't Studdin' Ya in 1991.

After Living in Chicago for 48 years, Rush moved to Jackson, Mississippi, to find the roots of his enslaved ancestors.

He recorded a series of records for the LaJam label, Malaco's Waldoxy imprint, and in 2003, his own Deep Rush label with partner Greg Preston, a former Malaco Records executive. One of the artists on the label is Crystal Springs, Mississippi native and former bandmate Dexter Allen.

He appeared in the 2003 documentary, The Road to Memphis which is part of the series The Blues, produced by Martin Scorsese.As a result of the Scorsese film, Rolling Stone magazine named him "'King of the Chitlin' Circuit' because of his 50 years of relentless touring and colorful live show."

His 2004 album FolkFunk was a return to a more rootsier sound, featuring guitarist Alvin Youngblood Hart. That year he was a judge for the second annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers. He also performed at the White House along with James Brown when Bill Clinton went into office. In 2014 he again performed for Bill and Hillary Clinton for a state event in Arkansas.

In 2007, he became the first blues artist to perform in China, earning him the title “International Dean of the Blues.” He was later named Friendship Ambassador to the Great Wall of China after performing the largest concert ever held at that site.In addition, Rush has toured in most major markets around the world, including Sydney, Australia; Paris, France; Tokyo, Japan; Shanghai, China; Johannesburg, South Africa; Berlin, Germany; Rome, Italy; Barcelona, Spain; Lucerne, Switzerland; New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Memphis, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California; to Jackson, Mississippi.

In 2014, Rush's album Down in Louisiana, was Grammy-nominated for "Best Blues Album", and won a Blues Music Award in the 'Soul Blues Album of the Year' category, whilst Rush was also nominated in two other categories. Following 2014's Grammy nomination, Rush was nominated again for "Best Blues Album" in 2015 for Decisions, with Blinddog Smokin' and featuring Rock n' Roll Hall of Famer Dr. John.

In July 2014, Rush performed with Dan Aykroyd one of James Brown's songs on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

He appears in the 2015 documentary film I Am the Blues.He also appeared as himself performing "I Ain't Studdin' You" in the 2019 film Dolemite Is My Name.

Awards and recognition

Rush received recognition for his music after the release of his 22nd album, Rush, when he was awarded "Best Male Soul Blues Artist" at the Blues Music Awards. He also received "best acoustic artist" and "best acoustic album" for his album Raw.

In 2006, Rush was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

In 2008, Rush was honored with a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail in Jackson, Mississippi.

In 2012, Rush was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.

In May 2015, Rush cut the ribbon for the Blues Hall of Fame, with an introduction by the Memphis Head of Tourism and aired live on local news.

In 2015, Rush won two Blues Music Awards in the 'Soul Blues Male Artist' and 'B.B. King Entertainer of the Year' categories.

In 2015, Rush was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame.

In 2017, Rush won a Blues Music Award for Album of the Year for "Porcupine Meat" and for Historical Album of the Year for Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush. These were the eleventh and twelfth Blues Music Awards Rush has been awarded by the Blues Foundation during his career. He gained his 13th Blues Music Award in 2020, this time in the 'Soul Blues Album of the Year' category for Sitting on Top of the Blues.

Grammy Awards

In 2017, at the age of 83, Rush won his first Grammy Award in the category Best Traditional Blues Album for Porcupine Meat.In 2018, a remix of Rush's song "Funk O'De Funk" by American electronic music duo Smle was nominated for Best Remixed Recording at the 60th Grammy Awards. The rendition lost to Latroit's remix of Depeche Mode's "You Move".

NEW ALBUM : RAWER THAN RAW 

Bobby Rush - Rawer Than Raw

Deep Rush Records - 2020

11 tracks; 45 minutes

Although now well into his 80’s, ‘King of the Chitlin’ Circuit’ Bobby Rush slows little sign of slowing down, this release following soon after last year’s Sitting On Top Of The Blues though it is far more closely tied in style to 2007’s Raw, a solo disc which was Bobby’s initial acoustic foray. Raw was an all-original set but this one mixes Bobby’s songs (some reprized from earlier, electric, discs) with a few of his influences, all drawn from the Mississippi Delta tradition. Although born in Louisiana, Bobby can trace his family roots to Mississippi and has lived in Jackson, MS since the 1980’s. He was fortunate to meet all of the bluesmen covered here, becoming friends with some, sharing stages with others. When you realize that the musicians concerned are Skip James, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Muddy Waters and Elmore James you start to understand why Bobby wanted to release this tribute to these masters of the blues and massive influences on his career. The tracks were recorded over a number of years in Jackson with producer and engineer Randy Everett, so very much a labor of love.

This is purely Bobby Rush – vocal, guitar, harp and foot stomp. The format is to intersperse Bobby’s originals with the covers (or should we call them ‘tributes’?), the album opening with the sprightly “Down In Mississippi” which celebrates visiting the Magnolia State: “I went down to Mississippi, sure had a wonderful time, I got high down there, high as a Georgia kite.” Bobby met Skip James when Skip was ‘rediscovered’ in the 60’s and plays a respectfully slow version of “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” (here entitled “Hard Times”) which Skip originally recorded during the Great Depression in 1931, yet it sounds very relevant for our current, troubled times. “Let Me In Your House” is one of those originals which Bobby plays with a knowing wink as he attempts to persuade the girl to let him in: “If I can’t sleep in your bed, let me sleep on your floor. If I walk in my sleep, you’re the only one who’ll ever know. If I can’t be your full-time lover, let me be your part-time man.”

Howlin’ Wolf was a huge influence on Bobby who admired his individuality and determination to do what he wanted, regardless of what others thought: Bobby says he feels the same! Bobby holds Wolf in such high esteem that he covers two of his successes, “Smokestack Lightning” and “Shake It For Me”, Willie Dixon’s song recorded as a B-side by Wolf in 1961 but perhaps best known for ‘influencing’ Led Zep’s “Whole Lotta Love”. Bobby plays some excellent harp on “Sometimes I Wonder”, a gentle reflection on the ageing process that acts almost like a mid-album interlude.

Bobby met SBW II (Rice Miller) when he was working with Elmore James in 1947. “Don’t Start Me To Talkin’” became a hit in 1957 and Bobby gives the familiar song a lively reading. Bobby’s “Let’s Make Love Again” does what the title suggest, the song sharing some of the lyrics of “Statesboro’ Blues” and sets the scene nicely for Muddy Waters’ “Honey Bee, Sail On” which is played in a very laid-back style, just guitar and an almost imperceptible foot stomp. Bobby knew Muddy from his time in Chicago and in the sleeve notes confesses that “I really wanted to be like Howlin’ Wolf. I wanted to dress like Muddy Waters. I wanted the showmanship like Wolf. Muddy Waters was a clean, sharp dresser, with a suit and tie on every day.” He certainly has done both of his great influences justice here.

We then get one of Bobby’s funniest songs (and still very much part of his stage act), “Garbage Man” - “of all the men my woman could have left me for, she left me for the garbage man. Every time I see a garbage can, I think of her and the garbage man all the time.” As Bobby says at the end of the song, “and that’s the blues for you”! To conclude the album Bobby covers “Dust My Broom” which could be interpreted as a tribute to its composer Robert Johnson, but Bobby never knew RJ, so his version references Elmore James’ famous version. Bobby met Elmore in 1947 when he was sneaking into clubs under age with a fake mustache!

In the liner notes Bobby is at pains to stress that these are not the only Mississippi musicians he would like to cover and regrets that there was no room for Jimmy Reed, John Lee Hooker, Son House and BB King. Maybe a second volume is called for, Bobby! Meanwhile enjoy this fine album of authentic Delta blues played by the one and only Bobby Rush.

Reviewer John Mitchell is a blues enthusiast based in the UK who enjoys a wide variety of blues and roots music, especially anything in the 'soul/blues' category. Favorites include contemporary artists such as Curtis Salgado, Tad Robinson, Albert Castiglia and Doug Deming and classic artists including Bobby Bland, Howling Wolf and the three 'Kings'. He gets over to the States as often as he can to see live blues.

Info made :  BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE