John & Queen Sylvia Embry – Troubles – Delmark Records DE 832

Tough and unrelenting, and in every proper sense of the phrase, Chicago blues.  At its finest.  Period.

Delmark Records had the great intellect to release this collection in 2013, and to those whose blues ears and intellect know the authentic blues of the great city, it was a welcome occasion.  This project actually dates to early 1979 when the Embrys laid-down these phenomenal tracks for the small-scale Razor Records label.  If one is in possession of the original Razor Records label album from 1980 (entitled After Work), one that has been out-of-print for a considerable amount of time, it has value among the ranks of collectors of modern Chicago blues.  John Embry and Sylvia Embry were married for a period, but by the time they found their ways into the studio to record the original collection, they had gone their separate ways and divorced.  But, divorce their creative chemistry they did not.

As any blues fan already knows, Delmark Records is recognized for its catalog of tasty blues, many of them rightfully considered true genre classics, and this inclusion into its vault appreciably raised its reputation yet again.

When Lefty Dizz was fronting the aggregation Lefty Dizz and the Shock treatment, Sylvia Embry (aka Queen Sylvia Embry to many) played bass in the group.  The band, without a doubt to anyone who ever witnessed one of their performances in the late 1970s era, didn’t hold back and were known for their overall talent, plus what could be, at times, thrilling shows.  The ensemble had some of the most dedicated blues fans around, and with their frequent shows on Chicago’s south side, especially the Blue Monday affairs at The Checkerboard Lounge on E. 43^rd St., are the stuff of continuing blues lore in the city.  When the band moved north to the illustrious Kingston Mines blues venue, they likewise found extremely appreciative audiences

John Embry (aka John “Guitar” Embry (think a meld between Albert King, Sammy Lawhorn, and Buddy Guy) was yet another of those hugely talented bluesmen in Chicago who somehow fell through the cracks as it relates to recognition from those outside the city.  His playing was both economical and stinging, with each note seemingly being a zenith unto itself.  His guitar solos meandered with intent, and left the listener with great satisfaction in their wakes.  His voice was laden with depth and emotion, with a supreme ability to convincingly communicate a story.  Feel, sensation, and articulated understanding were the consequences of both John Embry’s vocals and guitar ventures.

Sylvia Embry’s bass labors laid a low-end attack that rock solidly framed the blues song in question in a musical box that was firm and unbreakable.  Her voice soared and was poignant; hers was a declamatory style that was a blunt instrument at her disposal to bring understanding of her blues accounts to the collected audience, whether on record or in-performance.  Sylvia knew gospel singing, and the listener easily recognizes it in her vocal attack.  Plus, she honed her bass and band skills not only with Dizz, but among others in Chicago’s blues landscape.  Particularly, she also spent considerable time working with Jimmy Dawkins, and recording with other Chicago blues luminaries. 

The 17 tracks across this CD (the original album from which this is drawn included only ten selections – the unissued material is drawn for various sources) are equally and entirely satisfying.  The cadences among the tracks pleasingly vary, and both John Embry and Sylvia Embry bring their considerable vocal attributes to the fore.  The pair’s passion for their craft, their resolve to represent Chicago blues with undeniable respect, and to in no way ever phone-in a recording is highly evident.  This is true blues professionalism that excites, inspires, quenches, and to this day, remains vital.

Withstanding the Embrys’ enormous talent, the core cuts here are vitalized by the distinguished efforts of guitarist Riley Robinson and drummer Woody Williams (who also affords vocal work on certain selections).  Additional support is quite strong on the add-on tracks and comes from bassists Robert Perkins and Thomas Landis, and drummers Dino Alvarez, Ollie Moore, and Jerry Porter.

John Embry passed away in 1987, and in was also in the late 1980s when Sylvia Embry’s health began to fail her.  By this time, she had made her way back to gospel music.  However, Sylvia died in 1992, truly way too young at the age of 50, and once again, the blues world wonders, “What if she had been able to continue her blues career?”

Sylvia Embry was so close to reaching the next tier in not only Chicago as one of the very few women to lead her own band, but also in the whole of the blues.  In addition to this reviewed outing, she was featured on one volume of Alligator Records’ Living Chicago Blues series, plus she released a 1983 collection on the Jimmy Dawkins’ L&R Records label (with Carey Bell, Dawkins, and Jimmy Rogers, among others), and saw a 45rpm on the Leric Records imprint also come out.  The reader is advised to also seek out those recordings.

This is timeless modern Chicago blues at its best, a document of an elite Chicago blues pair who consequentially and to lofty heights impacted the Chicago blues scene.  While not necessarily an essential blues recording, this astounding collection veers being very close to that lofty position in the annals of Chicago blues.  Would this reviewer say it definitively belongs in the CD racks of those blues fans who hold the modern Chicago blues model in high esteem?  Yes.  On listen will indicate why.

Highly recommended!