The
blues
started out Southern, rural, and acoustic but ended up becoming Northern, urban, and electric -- and things went full circle when bluesmen on the Southern chitlin' circuit became influenced by the music that was coming from
John Lee Hooker
in Detroit and
Chess Records
in Chicago. But Windy City residents haven't forgotten the
' Southern heritage, which is why harmonica player
Pierre Lacocque
has been calling his Chicago-based
/
soul
band
Mississippi Heat
. Don't let the name
fool you;
Lacocque
's respect for Mississippi's contributions to the
doesn't erase the fact that what transpires on this live CD is mostly
electric Chicago blues
(with some occasional detours into
).
has had its share of lineup changes since
formed the band in 1992; on
One Eye Open
(which was recorded at
Rosa's Lounge
in Chicago on July 18, 2005), the participants include, among others, guitarist/singer
Lurrie Bell
and singer
Inetta Visor
(a gutsy, big-voiced belter along the lines of
Koko Taylor
,
Etta James
, and
Big Time Sarah
, as usual, is on harmonica -- and he has his share of inspired moments on the albums' vocal offerings as well as instrumentals that include the invigorating
"Rosa's Strut"
and the
Eddie Harris
standard
"Listen Here"
(which
takes out of
soul-jazz
and places firmly in the
Visor
, meanwhile, makes the sparks fly whether she is performing straight-up
or making some
detours on
Aretha Franklin
's
"Rock Steady"
and
"Cool Twist"
(a
original that might have been a hit if
had been around in the mid-'60s). Although nothing groundbreaking occurs,
One Eye Open: Live at Rosa's Lounge, Chicago
is an enjoyable document of
's band on-stage during the summer of 2005. ~ Alex Henderson