Steve Burnside and the Original MarquisThe Blues Collection2002Prospect RecordsPR-008

Steve Burnside and the Original Marquis - The Blues Collection - 2002 - Prospect Records - PR-008

Written by John Taylor

The multitudinous musical forms loosely currently grouped under the title of "the blues" have come a long way from their dirt-poor origins in the Mississippi Delta.

Once upon a time, practitioners were more likely barefoot than not; today it's not terribly uncommon to see a bluesman in a tuxedo. And along the way the form has lost some of its rough edges becoming - dare we say - slicker, and more sophisticated.

That's okay, though. One can't ignore progress entirely, and music, like art and science, must advance; it's simply human nature. The risk is if you take it too far, you lose the raw, primitive emotion that makes the blues one of the most honestly expressive forms of music ever "invented".

The cover of Steve Burnside and the Original Marquis' Blues Collection features a smiling, obviously healthy and well-dressed Steve; he looks as though he'd be much more at home in an uptown supper club than down home in a sharecropper's shack. In keeping with the cover, the music consists of blues for people who dress for dinner; it features a style consistent with an upscale environment. Is that a bad thing? Nope, not at all. There are many flavours of blues, and one needn't be a fan of one to appreciate another; there's a big difference between, say, Piedmont picking and gutbucket Chicago blues. Yet there's ample room for both.

There is much to like in The Blues Collection; it features some great tunes, lots of variety, and everything's done with efficiency. Steve formed the original Marquis in 1958(!), along with founding member Mike Addario (keys). Bassist Chuck Lee joined in '71, while drummer Johnny Johnston joined 10 years earlier. All eventually went their separate ways but re-formed in 1998.

Material includes horn-driven versions of (Turn On Your) Love Lights and Born Under A Bad Side - in this case with the horns synthesized courtesy of Mr. Addario. Though I'm not a fan of the synthesized strings used to fill in Brook Benton's Rainy Night In Georgia, Steve does a nice job on vocals despite the fact it would be very difficult to ever improve on Mr. Benton's take!

Job Down To The Bakery is the disc's lone original, a straight-ahead shuffle that sounds just fine. In the case of Midnight (is a) Lonely Hour, I must admit I remain partial to W. C. Clark's version on his recently released From Austin With Soul, which is still fresh in my memory.

Burnside turns in some fine guitar work on Stormy Monday, though the synthesized strings and bouncy rhythm may not appeal to everyone. Better is She's Into Something, in which Burnside's slightly gritty voice is a perfect match for the material; Firing Line, too, cooks nicely. Lee's bass work is exemplary, and the "pseudo-horns" actually sound pretty good.

The tender Just As I Am works quite well with Burnside showing that he's a fine singer when given the room to express himself. The arrangement threatens to overpower here and there but he comes through. Things wrap up with Bill Doggett's immortal Honky Tonk, followed by a humorous Johnny Johnson tune, Stepped in What? which must be fun at a live performance.

All in all, the familiar play list and the aforementioned slick style make this is a likeable outing even though "likeable" isn't always what the blues are all about. I'd guess Burnside and friends move many a copy off the bandstand.

Copyright 2003. Review by John Taylor.

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