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Concert Review
Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Sir Mack Rice
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Eddie Floyd
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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The Bar-Kays
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Ronnie Baker Brooks
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
By Dave Miller
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Soul music commandeered the 30th Annual Chicago Blues Festival for one night.
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The Petrillo Music Shell belonged to soul legend Otis Clay and his Platinum Band Saturday night. The 71-year-old local treasure filled the expansive stage with a 12-member backing band consisting of four horns, three singers, a piano, an organ, a guitar, a bass and drums. Clay and company gave a clinic in old-school soul. The started relatively low key with "Messing with My Mind" and "Love's After Me," as if easing the blues crowd into a soul frame of mind, and built momentum throughout the 80-minute set.
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"Walk a Mile in My Shoes" saw the band break down the music near the end of the song to put the spotlight on Clay's vocals. The led into "Nickel and a Nail," which featured a groove big enough to fill Grant Park as Clay paid his respects to the greats of the past, name-checking Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Z.Z. Hill, Solomon Burke, Johnnie Taylor and Tyrone Davis. Uvee Hayes made the trip from St. Louis to duet on "Steal Away to the Hideaway" and she took over the band for two more songs. Clay returned for "Maintenance Man." He spoke proudly about playing a Medgar Evers event the previous night in Jackson, Miss., before closing with a soul master-class medley of "Love and Happiness," "Soul Man," "I Just Wanna Testify" and "Respect Yourself."
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Next came a set dubbed "The Memphis Soul Review" with The Bar-Kays serving as the house band for Sir Mack Rice and Eddie Floyd before closing the show. Rice, 79, earned the award as the sharpest dresser, decked out in a light blue suit. Sadly, though, he took the stage confused, parking himself behind one of the backing microphones before his wife mercifully emerged to lead him to the center mic to sing his "Cadillac Assembly Line" and "Mustang Sally." Floyd took the baton and buoyantly sang "634-5789," a song he co-wrote for Wilson Pickett, and his own "Knock on Wood." His other classic, "Raise Your Hand" went missing in action for some reason. The Bar-Kays, with bassist James Alexander as the only original member, closed the show, playing songs from their lengthy career from when they backed Redding in the 1960s to their R&B hit "Sexomatic" in the '80s. Their '80s funk songs and presentation of them were reminiscent at times of Morris Day and The Time, which, while entertaining, stretched the basic concept of a blues festival.
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Blues purists received their fix with a lively opening set by Ronnie Baker Brooks, who did his family proud. With dad Lonnie and brother Wayne watching from the wings, Brooks stood as an entertaining headliner on his own fronting his three-piece band. He ventured into Redding vocal territory on "See You Hurt No More," while playfully conjuring up vocals of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf on Willie Dixon's "I Just Wanna Make Love to You." Brooks brought out his father for "Sweet Home Chicago," which has been played to death in town but felt right this time as a family statement. "The blues ain't dead!" said a breaming Brooks, overlooking a park full of people listening to the music.
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The City of Chicago deserves credit for honoring its musical legacy by staging a blues festival for 30 years. Hopefully the event remains free from budgetary pressures that caused the city to start charging for Taste of Chicago concerts. The Blues Festival is good for everyone's soul.
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Photo Gallery
Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Uvee Hayes
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Otis Clay and Uvee Hayes
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Otis Clay
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Sir Mack Rice
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Sir Mack Rice
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
Eddie Floyd
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
The Bar-Kays
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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The Bay-Kays
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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The Bay-Kays
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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The Bay-Kays
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Ronnie Baker Brooks
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Ronnie Baker Brooks
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Ronnie Baker Brooks
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Ronnie Baker Brooks
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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Ronnie Baker Brooks
June 8, 2013 @ Chicago Blues Festival
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