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ROCK ’N’ ROLL CITY
(Bullseye Blues and Jazz)
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Eddy Clearwater began his career in Chicago’s bars just when blues was giving birth to rock and roll, so his blend of Muddy Waters’ old-style funk with Chuck Berry’s fast-paced post-war rhythms comes naturally. After a pair of excellent recent albums that catered to his blues jones, Clearwater’s inner rocker gets shocked out of his skin by his backing group here, Mexican wrestling-mask-wearing surf-guitar group Los Straitjackets. With their expert support, "Before This Song Is Over" comes off like a classic ’50s boy-girl ballad; "Lonesome Town" walks the line between Duane Eddy and Buddy Guy; and the uptempo numbers "Ding Dong Daddy" and "Old Time Rocker" sound like lost refugees from Sun Studios, complete with solos that slide along guitar strings the way Scotty Moore did with Elvis. Clearwater’s sonically perfect Chuck Berry tribute "Hillbilly Blues" is the kind of tune that fuels his hottest stage antics, like manic duckwalking and excursions through the audience. Another highlight is the instrumental "Monkey Paw," where his ripping, stabbing solos punctuate Danny Amis’s guitar. There’s also "Back Down to Earth," which celebrates Clearwater’s humble country origins. Humble, at least, for a man who turns his amplifier up to 11, wears a feathered headdress, and calls himself "The Chief." (Eddy Clearwater appears next Friday, November 7, at Johnny D’s; call 617-776-2004.)
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