Dave Specter

In April 2008, Delmark simultaneously released two different versions of Dave Specter's Live in Chicago: a 67-minute audio CD version and the DVD version reviewed here. The main difference between the two versions -- apart from the fact that the DVD allows one to both see and hear the performances -- is the inclusion of three bonus tracks on the DVD that aren't on the CD: the gritty "You Don't Love Me" (which features singer Jimmy Johnson), "Every Goodbye Ain't Gone" (a soul offering that features singer Sharon Lewis), and the infectious instrumental "The Hollywood Park Shuffle" (a Specter original). The CD and the DVD were both recorded at the same two Chi-Town clubs in August 2007 (Buddy Guy's Legends and Rosa's Blues Lounge), and in both venues, being able to see Specter in addition to hearing him really gives the viewer valuable insights into what makes him tick. Quite often in the blues world, guitarists are either singers who play guitar when they sing or non-singing guitarists who accompany singers as sidemen; Specter, however, is a guitar-playing bandleader who doesn't sing -- and on this DVD, one is reminded how effectively he uses both his guitar playing and his bandleading to express himself emotionally. The Chicago resident soars on instrumentals like "The Hollywood Park Shuffle," "Texas Top," and "Is What It Is," and he is equally expressive as a guitarist when he features vocalists Johnson, Lewis, and Tad Robinson. From 12-bar blues ("Out on the Road," "Feel So Bad") to instrumental soul-jazz ("Is What It Is") to vocal-oriented soul ("In Too Deep," "Angel"), this DVD is a fine audio-visual document of Specter's live performances during the summer of 2007. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide