I just received a great DVD from the fine folks at Delmark Records, called Little Arthur Duncan: Live At Rosa's Blues Lounge. This is a great visual document of one of those players that the rest of the world needs to see and hear. Little Arthur was born in Indianola Mississippi in 1934, and like many Mississippi bluesmen moved north to Chicago. Little Arthur is a classic in all sense of the word. His set recorded at Rosa's is classic Chicago blues at its finest. I know that the blurb on the DVD talks about the band not being very slick(click here), but hey, that is what makes them so appealing. Duncan reminds me a little bit vocally like Sonny Boy Williamson II, and the band can certainly grove like those classic harp driven classics from the 50s. The band doesn't want to slow down, and keeps it up tempo until they get to the Howling Wolf classic Little Red Rooster, which is the 8 song of the set! Young Fashioned Ways makes me think one of the beauties of the blues is the love and respect that is paid to the older bluesman. I have always said that most forms of popular music is a young mans game. Especially today in our Star-Crazed, American Idol, what have you done for me lately, music business, but the blues is still an old mans game. We respect our elders, and they in return show us how its done. Little Arthur may be 70+ years old, but he is a master of the blues, and what Muddy Waters said many years ago is true that the blues takes a lifetime to master! If you would like to order this great DVD then Click HERE and while you are there check out some of the great blues and jazz recordings available at Delmark Records.
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