BUDDY GUY
Live at Legends (Pirate Entertainment/Silvertone)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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Pirate Entertainment's got an idea whose time has come. Live CDs of blues shows in nearly real-time. I know that many artists have actually encouraged bootlegging of their shows just to get the word out about their music, much to the chagrin of their record label. With the backing of his label, Silvertone, in partnership with Pirate Entertainment, Buddy Guy has recorded his 11-night homestand of this past January at his Buddy Guy's Legends club in Chicago. These live shows are available through www.piratebootlegs.com. These recordings are an incredible, no-frills way to experience live blues shows as they happen. Big plus: it's legal, and the sound quality is first-class. The January 17th show captures Buddy Guy live, and it features some over-the-top solos on "Hoochie Coochie Man," the John Hiatt-penned "Feels Like Rain," and stage banter that's truly a joy to hear. Buddy welcomes special guests Dusty Baker and his Chicago Cubs coaching staff, and they joke about baseball and Dusty's love for the blues. On other nights, he's got Jim Peterik (The Ides of March, Survivor), Shemekia Copeland, or Lonnie Brooks. Buddy's right: he plays "Hoochie Coochie Man" "so funky you can smell it," and the entire set simmers and shakes with the passion and power of a live Buddy Guy show. Live at Legends is not only a blues masterwork, it also shows how technology can bring live music home and benefit artists who use it to their advantage.

Track List for January 17, 2004 Set:

Disc One:
Mustang Sally * Fever * Hoochie Coochie Man * Let Me Love You Baby * Feels Like Rain Use Me

Disc Two:
Can't Get Close To You * The Thing That I Want To Do * Damn Right I've Got The Blues * Voodoo Chile

[Pick this up at www.piratebootlegs.com.]

© 2004 - Eric Steiner