2021 – Delmark Records
by Phillip Smith; Nov. 13, 2021
Dave Specter has appeared on over fifty albums and DVDs either as
guitarist, bandleader, or producer, and was inducted into the Chicago Blues
Hall of Fame in 2018. For an artist
to have a three-decade-long career on one label is indeed a rarity. Specter’s latest release celebrates
that exact accomplishment with Six String Soul: 30 Years on Delmark. This fabulous two-disc set covers his amazing
career with 28 magnificent tracks representing fourteen albums. The
list of legendary blues artists appearing on this compilation album is a
dazzling one to say the least. It includes
Barkin’ Bill Smith, Ronnie Earl, Jesse Fortune, Tad Robinson,
Sharon Lewis, Barrelhouse Chuck, Floyd McDaniel, Lurrie
Bell, Jimmy Johnson, Otis Clay, Brother John Kattke, and
Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna).
“Wind Chill”, from the album Bluebird
Blues he recorded with Barkin’ Bill Smith, and Ronnie Earl is
a delectable jazz instrumental complete with a smooth walking bassline and coupled
with organ, and horns. Specter’s guitar
performance is superb. From the same
album, a sweet cover of T-Bone Walker’s “Railroad Station Blues”
immediately follows. Barkin’ Bill
takes on the lead vocals as Specter and Earl join on guitar. From the album Kiss of Sweet Blues by Lurrie
Bell with Dave Specter and the Bluebirds, “You’re Gonna Be Sorry” is an exquisite
blast of Chicago Blues, with Bell on vocals and guitar. A track that absolutely cooks is “Can’t Stay
Here No More” off Wild Cards with Tad Robinson’s soulful vocals
riding a wave of Stax-inspired rhythm, complete with horns. I absolutely love this one. W.C. Handy’s “St Louis Blues” from Floyd
McDaniel’s West Side Baby album totally captivated me. This is one of the first songs I learned how
to play on organ back in the Seventies, and it will always be a special song to
me. Specter teams up with Otis
Clay for a ripping good time in “Chicago Style”. This homage to the Windy City and the
blues artists who make their mark there is a swinging one. Jorma Kaukonen and Brother John
Kattke collaborate wonderfully with Specter on the album Blues
From the Inside Out. “The Blues Ain’t
Nothin’”, a song from that album and co-written by Kaukonen and Specter
is a wonderful jam loaded with smoldering riffs, and hot licks.
Six String Soul closes with Specter’s brand new single “The
Ballad of George Floyd” which he recorded with Billy Branch. Showcased now at the Woody Guthrie Center
in Tulsa as part of the Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom exhibit, the
song’s hand-written lyrics are on display among Woody Guthrie’s tenor banjo,
Steven Van Zandt’s guitar used for the “Sun City” recording, and Pete
Seeger’s five-string banjo.
Six String Songs : 30
Years on Delmark is definitely an album blues fans will want
to give a listen to. This thirty year journey
of Dave Specters musical career is highly
recommended.
For more information about the artist, visit this website : davespecter.com
Click on the link below
to purchase this terrific album from the PhillyCheeze Amazon Store. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from
qualifying purchases.
