Willie Buck and the Delmark All-Stars – Live at Buddy Guy’s Legends
10 tracks
Born in 1937 in Houston, Mississippi, Willie Crawford was the son of a minister and loved to listen to music on his family’s wind up Victrola. He heard BB King play at Sally’s Juke Joint. Too young to go in, he sat outside and listened. He also sang around the clubs locally near his home. In 1953 he left for Chicago and became Willie Buck and was a regular on Maxwell Street. He played and sang with all the big names. He was a bass player along with singing until he broke his wrist in 1964. He owned his own club for 4 years and then owned a towing and auto service. His diligence paid off and he was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2004. This is his fourth Delmark album.
The Delmark All Stars are Thaddeus Krolicki and Billy Flynn on guitar, Scott Dirks on harp, Johnny Iguana on piano, Melvin Smith on bass and Willie “The Touch” Hayes on drums. Hayes passed away after this recording; this was the last session recorded with Willie. Six of the tracks are Willie’s, one is a jam and the remaining three are Chicago blues classics.
The album opens with the band jamming on an instrumental entitled “Jumping” before Willie comes on the stage. Willie them breaks into the classic “Kansas City” before laying into five of his own tunes.
“Tried To Work Something Out” begins his original cuts, a cool straight blues with some pretty guitar and piano work. Willie gives it his all here and then lets the harp take us home. ”What We Were Taking About” follows and Willie does another fine job as do the guitar soloists.
“Let’s See If We Can Come Together” is next, a gritty, slow blues that gets down and dirty. Guitar, harp and piano add to the grit and grime. Up next is “Snow,” a traditional blues cut with Willie howling out the lead in another slow and delightful cut. Greasy harp and backing by the guitars and piano add well to the mix.
Willie then talks to the crowd before going into Muddy Water’s “Rock Me.” The band works hard in support. Willie then does his song “Walking And Swimming,” another slow and classic sounding tune. He concludes with “Hoochie Coochie Man” which is right up his alley. He delights in the Muddy Waters cut and he and the band again give it their all.
It’s fun to hear one of Chicago’s elder statesmen out and about plying his craft ad working the crowd at Buddy’s club. Willie Buck is joined by Thaddeus Krolicki, his right-hand man, and an all-star band doing what he does best- singing the blues!
