Jimmy Burns is a blues man, but one who has created his own style of playing. In most of his material you can hear his Mississippi roots but on top of that he grafts everything from soul to R&B. Almost every song he plays has something slightly different to the one from before it, but he doesn't dilute any of the power of the music like so many other attempts to augment the blues.
The nice thing about live concerts is that occasionally the band will bring on a special guest. On this occasion the band brings on another "rediscovered" blues singer, Jesse Fortune, to sing lead on track thirteen of the disc, "Three O'clock Blues"
Jesse Fortune is a real old time blues singer. His vocals have more in common with old spirituals and field "hollers" then the more sophisticated styling of Jimmy Burns. He got up on stage and his voice swooped, soared, shook like a leaf at times, and roared like a lion at others. I don't know if I could take a full set of that style of singing, but it was quite amazing to listen to on this occasion.
Live At B.L.U.E.S comes with audio options for all systems, so even if you have nothing but what came with your television to use for speakers, your sound quality should be okay. You also get a commentary feature with Jimmy talking about each song as he performs it, its history and where it was first played.
For those of you out there like me who have always wanted to see a blues band play in one of the older bars of Chicago, Jimmy Burns Live at B.L.U.E.S is truly a wonderful experience. A great band, a great location, and great material — what more could you ask for?
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