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CD Review: Delbert McClinton "Live" (New West)



Delbert McClinton "Live" (New West)

This is a terrific introduction to Delbert McClinton's Texas honky-tonk R&B (heavy on the 'B'), a musical brew that comes to life in concert. Not only does the double-disc set survey the length of McClinton's career, but the singer and his band are thoroughly in the groove, and the appreciative Norwegian Bergen Blues Festival audience spurs them to great heights. Originally broadcast on radio, a post-show review made it clear that the engineers had captured the punch of a live concert on tape, and that the confluence of a great night for the singer, songs, band and recording would make for a very special release.

The song list includes several staples from McClinton's live set, including his own "B Movie Boxcar Blues" (popularly known from the Blues Brothers 1978 cover), his first chart success, 1980's "Giving It Up For Your Love," and a moving rendition of Otis Redding's "I've Got Dreams to Remember." While five of this album's tracks were included on McClinton's 1989 concert release, "Live From Austin," they're concert staples for a good reason: each is meaty enough to stand up to reinterpretation, night-after-night and year-after-year.

Even better, the chestnuts find new context in a set that includes recent material like the Mexicali flavored "When Rita Leaves" and horn-charged "Livin' It Down" from 2001's "Nothing Personal" LP, and "Smooth Talk" and "New York City" from 2002's "Room to Breathe." The set is fleshed out with well-selected blues covers such as Big Joe Turner's steamy "Rebecca, Rebecca" Billy Emerson's sassy "Little Fine Healthy Thing," and Glen Clark's optimistic "Leap of Faith." When McClinton steps outside the standard blues repertoire, for the Country-originated "Old Weakness (Comin' On Strong)," or the Bo Diddley beat of Mickey Jupp's "I'm With You," the band spices things with zesty horn charts and rollicking piano and guitar.

While this can't substitute for actually hearing McClinton live, it gives the uninitiated a good taste of what they've been missing.

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