2026 – Blues Til 2
Release Date : August 28, 2026
By Phillip
Smith; October
17, 2026
In 2025 the legendary Austin,
Texas-based music venue Antone’s celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, they issued a tremendous
four-disc box-set Antone’s: 50 Years of the Blues. With an abundance of music left over from
that project, they followed up with this delightful new eleven-track
compilation Antone’s 50th Presents Chicago Bound featuring John
Primer, Ivan Neville, CC Adcock, Keith Richards, Ronnie
Wood, Jimmy Vaughan, Kam Franklin, Rodd Bland and The
Dreamers, Doyal Bramhall II, Kim Wilson & The Fabulous
Thunderbirds, Anson Funderburgh, Clifford Antone, Billy F,
Gibbons and the BFG’s, Lurrie Bell, Lavelle White, Lil’ Ed
Williams, and Kenny “Beedy Eyes”
Smith.
With Steve Bell accompanying on harp, John Primer gets the real-deal blues party started with Jimmy Rogers’ “Chicago Bound”. Primer, who made his first appearance at Antone’s in 1979 as the new guitarist for Muddy Waters, notes the song is a salute to Rogers, who was also playing with Muddy at that time. Immediately following is “One Step at a Time” performed by an all-star cast of musicians comprised of Ivan Neville, CC Adcock, Keith Richards, Ronnie Woods, and Jimmy Vaughan. It was a rush to hear Bramhall’s cover of Hound Dog Taylor’s “Give Me Back My Wig”. That’s such a great song, and Bramhall plays it a lot of gusto. The soulful way Kam Franklin sings the Bobby Blue Bland classic “I Wouldn’t Treat a Dog (The Way You Treated Me)” is smooth as silk. I love the fact that Rodd Bland was playing drums on his father’s song. When that oh-so-familiar voice of Billy Gibbons belts out “Hanging on a Cliff”, time seems to stand still. This tribute to Antone’s founder Clifford Antone which namedrops blues legends Jimmy Reed, B.B. King, and Freddy King, also features Gibbon’s backing band, The BFGs comprised of Chris Layton (Double Trouble) on drums, and multi-instrumentalist Mike Flanigin. The album closes with Primer, Lil’ Ed, and Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith tearing the roof off in true Chicago Blues fashion with “Got My Mojo Working”. It’s an amazing recording.
Antone’s 50th Presents Chicago Bound is one of those albums any blues collector will want in their collection. It’s a terrific album.
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Lurrie Bell
Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
Kam Franklin with Rodd Bland & The Dreamers
John Primer
Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
Billy F Gibbons
Photo by Rodney Burseil