Lonnie Brooks – Live At Pepper’s 1968 – Black Top Records BT-1129 

Originally seeing the light of day in 1984 on the European Black Magic Records label, this 1996 Black Top Records re-release provides an intriguing glimpse into the Chicago blues scene from an artist who eventually would achieve vast recognition due to his alignment with Chicago’s Alligator Records and his 11 appearances on the label’s offerings.

Recorded at Chicago’s Pepper’s Lounge, Brooks presents a mix of covers and originals to an enthusiastic crowd.  Brooks’ approach seemed to be one of appeasing his audience by dipping into those blues songs that were the day’s chart hits while skillfully placing his own music among those successes to build his own credibility with the record-buying public who were his spectators.

There is a delightfully loose and easy feel to Brooks’ performance pace and audience interactions here that certainly is indicative of the man on the bandstand.  His easy-going demeanor is front-and-center throughout.  His fiery guitar eruptions, deep blues feeling, and engaging vocals found across this collection remained his bread and butter for the entirety of his long blues career.

If what you are longing for is a glance inside what a good-timey Chicago blues club celebration sounded and felt like in the late 1960s, well, there is no better place to experience that than within the blues joyfulness found on this CD.

Sit back and enjoy what the Chicago blues scene once sounded like!  It’ll make you yearn for days gone by. 

Highly recommended!