Bobby Rush turns eighty eight this year. In a programme broadcast on the BBC World Service at lunchtime today (July 24), the veteran blues musician gave us a guided tour of the chitlin' circuit, interviewing many of its now legendary performers. Black American musicians cut their teeth on the tough gig-to-gig, town-to-town days and nights on the road in segregated America.
Rush offered to demonstrate how to play and sing the blues, the Homer, Louisiana born survivor singing the line: She left me for the garbage man!
Parallels were drawn with the chitlin' circuit in the 30s and 40s and today's underground network of clubs presenting hip hop artists. It was suggested some gigs were, and are, financed by 'street financiers' - don't ask!
Lou Rawls' Tobacco Road illustrated the art of the monologue, designed to engage an audience. Rawls' live album features a cooking rhythm section (Herb Ellis on guitar) and from first note to last the performance is a supercharged, spine-tingling listening experience. Levi Stubbs remembered being stopped by the police and hauled off to the local slammer for no good reason. Black Americans travelling together was seen as a dangerous, subversive activity. Sadly police intervention of this kind was an all too frequent occurrence.
The Road to Rock 'n' Roll will be broadcast on several more occasions over the next few days. Details at: www.bbc.co.uk. Russell
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