Chicago Blues, part deux

OK, as promised, more highlights from the 25th annual Chicago Blues Fest, which took place June 5-8 in Grant Park:

• For years, I made a point of getting to the park early to see Mississippi cane-fife master Otha Turner and his Rising Star Fife and Drum Band. The rousing polyrhythms, cut through by Turner's sweet-sounding fife, provided the call to party, as well as a connection to the very early roots of the blues. Although Turner, well into his 90s, passed away in 2003, his family carries on the tradition, with teenage granddaughter Sharde Thomas piping beautifully and singing in a young, but charming voice. More Thomases pound out the neck-snapping rhythms that insist upon body-movement. To hear this band doing a blues classic like "Sittin' on Top of the World" is to know just where this music came from.

• Always a treat to catch up with the multitalented Harmonica Hinds, a laid-back performer who blows some tasty harp and sings in a distinctively dusty manner. Keeping time with a tambourine attached to his foot, Hinds was accompanied by blues legacy Eddie Taylor Jr., whose subtle rhythms on a big jazz guitar were a perfect match.

• Although he's best known for providing the rock-steady drumming for the likes of Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf and the Butterfield Blues Band, Sam Lay is also an accomplished country-blues interpreter, accompanying a well-lived in voice with some fine acoustic guitar picking. While the wind had ripped off the tent covering the Juke Joint stage, Lay bore up well under the blistering sun while decked out in a sparkling gold shirt with matching shoes.

• Jimmy Johnson is among the most underrated blues artists around. Best known for his exciting guitar style, Johnson switched over to keyboards for his Maxwell Street Corner performance, his soulful high-tenor in great shape on a set of contemporary blues.

• A sizzling R&B revue was the highlight of the bandshell shows that evening, featuring a rotating roster of Chicago hitmakers such as Ruby Andrews, Cicero Blake and Sugar Pie DeSanto, all of whom were in excellent voice and entertaining as hell. Under the direction of saxophone stalwart Willie Henderson, the brass-fueled band was snap-tight. As I've often said, the opportunity to hear great artists such as these outside of Chicago is rare.

Other Friday night bandshell shows included an animated Koko Taylor, seemingly in good health, and the reliable Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater accompanied by an all-star crew, but the latter show left me with a bad taste. Clearwater has a new album to hawk, and he did just that, playing it, I believe in its entirety, to the exclusion of any other tunes from his vast catalog. His guests included Ronnie Baker Brooks, who came on-stage with his band and replaced The Chief's guys, dramatically altering the feel of the music, as well as Jimmy Johnson, Otis Clay and Billy Branch, who also appear on the recording. By all means, plug your new disc, tell people to buy it and you'll sign it for 'em, but this just felt like an infomercial.

More Chicago Blues Fest to come: Liz Mandville shakes it in a silver sheathe, Otis Taylor recaptures the banjo and T-Model Ford just won't quit