Byther Smith – Housefire – Bullseye Blues BB9503 

Simply, in my estimation, no one in modern blues wove a tale in their blues like Byther Smith.  Period.

Here, the one-time guitar-legend-in-residence at the famed Teresa’s nightclub in Chicago, Smith presents a spellbinding mix of blues highlighting his highly-personal anxieties in the form of fiery compositions.  Contemporary lyrics, guitar patterns, and textured, varied tales on themes of money, love, individual plights, and triumphs proliferate this collection. 

At the time of these recordings, Smith had endured to his strong desire to work a long-time day job, rear his children, and nurture his family life, thus avoiding the trappings of the nightlife.  As such, with his considerable, uncanny ability to combine consistently strong musical phrasing with lyrics built on life’s analogies being of the highest order, Smith delivers a blues song in a way that speaks to the human condition with a fresh, intensely captivating manner. 

Smith’s guitar work is burning in its power, sharp and stinging, and when joined with his acidic vocal qualities, often laced with piercing shouts, it renders his modern blues unmistakably unique, and a model of authenticity for all blues artists and fans alike.

It is startling the urban urgency that Smith brought to his craft.  The undertones here have the listener feeling the edginess of Chicago and its impact upon his life.  It is compelling and undeniable.  

Here, the whole of Smith’s blues is driven to great heights by his gripping ability to convey blues situations in a penetratingly, ominously, and poignant fashion.  The subjects are personally frightening and weighty, and Smith’s vocals cry, wallop with emotion, and alarm with their deliberate scenarios of life’s travails. Verses do not necessarily rhyme; rather, they are constructed so as to accurately articulate a complete account of some situation needing illumination.  Smith’s blues communicate intimate subjects of great distress chocked-full of emotional baggage and torment.  This is blues story telling of the uppermost eminence.

Originally released in 1991, Smith surrounded his vision with Chicago piano giant Lafayette Leake, plus Bert Lewis on keyboards, and their efforts oftentimes offer stellar counter-point to Smith’s guitar excursions. 

The whole of the horn exertions on these stunning blues, provided by Carl Alfred and Ernest Potts, are punchy, grinding and relentlessly driving. 

Mike Baietto and Leon Skibinski work their rhythm guitar duties so as to provide essential structure behind Smith’s tough lead frameworks, while the low-end and percussion chores of bassist Bruce Felgren and Joe Pusateri, respectively, hold the rhythmic assembly in firm balance. 

However, one wants to analogize it, dollar-for-dollar, as bold as brass, and as hot as hell, this compilation of brilliant blues by one of Chicago’s more relatively obscure bluesmen is a substantial testament to the distinguished competencies of Byther Smith, and for my money, it is a document of modern blues that, without peer, frames the best of contemporary blues in a package that highly-delivers, front-to-back.  I said it within my Master’s Degree thesis argument on the blues during my days at Indiana University, and I’ll resay it here: This blues harvest is essential to any serious blues collection.   Essential, without qualification!