Bobby Rush — “All My Love For You” — Deep Rush Records/Thirty Tigers
Bobby Rush cut his first single, “Someday,” over a half-century ago in 1964. His recording of “Chicken Heads” in 1971, still more than a half-century ago, gave him his first big musical break.
After many, many performances (he was a Chitlin Circuit star), recordings and years, and nearly a lifetime of blues, Rush won his first Grammy in 2017 for Best Traditional Blues Album for “Porcupine Meat.” He was 83. Four years later, he won again, the Best Traditional Blues Album for “Rawer Than Raw.”
It’s apparently never too late to crank out a new album, so of course Rush has released his latest, “All My Love For You,” a few months ahead of his 90th birthday in November.
The new album is a collection of original songs, as Rush says, “for how I got to where I am now.” In an interview with TheUrbanMusicScene.com, Rush says:
“I wanted to approach this album to be a collection of songs for how I got to where I am now. Sonically I made albums in different directions recently like the solo acoustic “Rawer than Raw” and full production album “Porcupine Meat.” I wanted to do something that had the rawness in it, the commercial side of it, and have the blackness and whiteness inside of it. I want to thank people for letting me be myself. Now I have crossed over but I haven’t crossed out. With the title, I wasn’t talking just about a woman, but everyone who has anything to do with Bobby Rush: the fans, the media, the promoters, the label and distributor, booking agents, management, and anyone else who has contributed to my life and career, this is All My Love For You.”
With all that in mind, this album opens with “I’m Free,” Rush’s personal story of leaving his harsh early years behind and becoming the consummate performer he is today: “I’m free, I’m free, look at me, can’t you see? / I’ve got the shackles off my feet and the chains off my mind.”
I’ve seen Rush perform a few times over the years, and in a way, this album reflects what he does on stage. There’s a bunch of muscular blues here, and even though the songs are freshly written, their tone and spirit reflect the rich history of the music on which Rush readily draws. There are also some soulful vocals, some expertly conjured harp musings and some trademark raunchy Rush humor.
It’s a splendid Bobby Rush performance, made even more meaningful when you realize just how much he has lived the blues life and how that experience has been expressed through his music. If you’re a deep blues fan, or a fan of those deep blues, you need to visit with him the musical places Rush has been.
In an interview with writer Steve Baltin at Tidal, Rush sums up this album very neatly: “I’ve been wondering about this record, where it’s going to take me. I’m taking my chances, thinking this record is going to be one of the best records that I’ve ever recorded in my life.”
That may well be true. And if it is, considering what else he’s done with his blues life, that would be one helluva accomplishment.
An interview with Bobby Rush on NPR by Mary Louise Kelly
The full interview with Bobby Rush on Tidal by Steve Baltin
The song “I’m Free”:
All My Love For You tracklist:
1) I’m Free
2) Running In and Out
3) I Want To
4) One Monkey Can Stop A Show
5) I Can’t Stand It
6) TV Mama
7) I’ll Do Anything For You
8) I’m the One
9) You’re Gonna Need A Man Like Me
10) I Got A Proposition For You
Blues Roadhouse 