All My Love For You
Deep Rush/Thirty Tigers, 2023
9/10
The legendary bluesman Bobby Rush brings influences from his very diverse and lengthy career for these 10 songs that are both raw and accessible, and he’s got Dexter Allen and Joey Robinson along for the fun.
“I’m Free” opens the listen with plenty of funk spirit, as Rush handles harmonica, too, alongside his soulful and gritty pipes, and “Running In And Out” follows with Allen’s bouncy bass and Robinson’s thumping drums making for a rhythmic climate.
The middle track belongs to “I Can’t Stand It”, where Rush’s warm electric guitar emits a careful blues presence that’s quite intimate, while the powerful energy of “TV Mama” is both playful and melodic thanks to Robinson’s frisky keys.
Near to the end, “I’m The One” is dance floor ready with its southern charm and head bobbin’, toe tappin’ blues sensibilities, and “I’ve Got A Proposition For You” exits with Rush’s sturdy singing and the bright piano, spirited harmonica and crisp drums.
Rush has a pair of Grammys, is a Blues Hall of Famer, a 16-time Blues Music Awards Winner, and at age 90 is still making exceptional blues music, as evidenced by this superb listen.
Travels well with: Robert Finley- Sharecropper’s Son; Mike Zito/Albert Castiglia- Blood Brothers