If there were anyone who might be considered a star on the Delmark label it would probably be Lurrie, although he might be the last to admit it. Whether he's the front man, handling the vocals and lead guitar as he does with "Don't You Lie To Me" and "Reconsider Baby", or supplying his guitar work for another's performance, his work is some of the best you'll ever see. I've seen and heard him play now ever since I heard my first Delmark recording, and I've yet to hear him play any of the standard, cliched, blues guitar leads. I've never figured out why so many guitar players don't seem to realize their instrument has a neck that extends quite some distance away from the body of their guitar and they can play notes up at that other end. Lurrie Bell not only knows this, he also gives a clinic in how to play a lead that compliments a song without stealing it away from whomever is doing the singing
While Lurrie represents a polished form of urban blues, the same can't be said for either Tail Dragger or Little Arthur Duncan. Tail Dragger howls and growls his songs as he strolls through the audience. Flamboyant and extravagant as he may be, there's still no one who quite matches him for putting his heart and soul into his performances. You know when he flops down into his chair between songs he needs his rest. However, he jumps right back up as soon as the opening chords for the next song start, ready to put his all out there again. Little Arthur is another of those old time singers whose voice seems to be connected directly with his heart and soul when he sings. Perched on his chair downstage, either blowing his harp or singing his heart out, his material drives right through you and pins you back in your seat.
It's not only men on the Delmark label, and both Zora Young, who opens the show, and Shirley Johnson remind you that for every man whose felt the blues because of a woman, there's a woman who has been made to feel blue because of some man. When you listen to either of these wonderful voiced women sing, you'll wonder at the injustice of a world that will make stars out of squeaky voiced child or some so called pop diva, while ignoring them. They both can reach down deep to power a song, but they never go over the top or succumb to the bouts of hysteria that seems to pass for emotion among too many female singers in popular music today.
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