Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater: Reservation Blues

144

Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater: Reservation Blues

By

View read count
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater: Reservation Blues
At 65 years young, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater is sounding better than ever, and Reservation Blues is arguably his best album yet.

Clearwater wears a Native American headdress on stage and has even been known make a grand entrance atop a stallion when introduced at outdoor performances. (His grandma was a Cherokee.) His penchant for stagery sometimes obscures the fact that Clearwater is a fine songwriter, a dexterous southpaw guitarist, and a deep-hearted singer. What's more, his music effectively bridges the gap between Chicago blues and early rock 'n roll.

There's a depth to three or four songs on Reservation Blues that surpasses anything Clearwater has recorded previously — and that's saying something when you consider the man has been a consistent performer for 40 years. The opener "Winds of Change" (co-written by Karen Leipziger and Richard Fleming after a tornado hit Nashville) is an ominous tune that communicates the sense of mortality virtually every person has experienced. It's a terrific song, and one likely to be covered by many other artists. Almost as stirring is Clearwater's swampy original "Walls of Hate," a tune about discrimination that was inspired by the razing of the Berling Wall.

The rest of the album mixes gritty Chicago blues, Chuck Berry-style rock 'n roll, and jump blues. The jazzy title track offers autobiography and social commentary, while "Running Along" (co-written by Eddy and his wife Renee Greenman) registers a deep blues feeling. The faster tunes rock out ferociously, especially the remake of Clearwater's oft-covered "I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down" and a fun version of "Sweet Little Rock and Roller," both of which illustrate the guitarist's Chuck Berry leanings. "Blues Cruise" is an undulating instrumental that commemorates a blues fan's dream vacation, while the cover of "Susie Q" is the only track that seems close to being a throwaway.

Expertly produced by Duke Robillard, Reservation Blues features crackling performances by Robillard sidemen Doug James (baritone sax), Dennis Taylor (tenor sax), Matt McCabe (piano), and Duke's rock-steady, New England-based rhythm section. Cary Bell (harp) and Robillard (guitar) make brief but stellar contributions.

Track Listing

Winds of Change; I Wouldn't Lay My Guitar Down; Find Yourself; Reservation Blues; Walls of Hate; Running Along; Blues Cruise; Susie Q; Easy Is My Style; Everything to Gain; Sweet Little Rock and Roller

Personnel

Eddy Clearwater
guitar, electric

Eddie "The Chief Clearwater (guitar, vocals); Dennis Taylor (tenor sax) Doug James (baritone sax); James MacAllister (drums, percussion); John Packer, Patrick McKeever (bass); Matt McCabe (piano); Duke Robillard (guitar, three tracks); Carry Bell (harmonica, one track)

Album information

Title: Reservation Blues | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Bulleye Blues & Jazz

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.