Paul deLay

"deLay Does chicago"

Evidence Records  

Paul deLay has been a fan of chicago blues for a long time. His first blues hero was Paul Butterfield and through the Butterfield Blues Band he discovered Muddy Waters and great harp players like Little Walter, James cotton, Junior Wells and especially Big Walter.

Although he loved chicago blues, Paul deLay had never visited the city until the Fall of 1997. "We were just coming through the midwest after we played Norway," he relates.  "(We) had a night off and went down to Buddy Guy's club where we were going to play the next night, and ran into Rockin' Johnny Burgin and The Lazy Boys. I got to sit in on a couple of tunes and there were sparks flying all over that joint! Ya know that's what I love, so when I got home I just couldn't get it out of my head so I called the label and asked them if they'd back me for a session with the guys." Evidence Records wisely agreed. "Made me feel like a big shot," says deLay.

The idea of doing a genuine "chicago Blues" album thrilled deLay and he immediately started writing songs. "I wrote like I was scared," he confesses. "It was almost like wearing a sign saying, "critics Kick Me". I wrote all the songs and I worked hard on it-harder than I worked in camp-and I ended up puttin' in some good work."

The good work on, deLay Does chicago, is obvious. The combination of deLay's goose bump-level chromatic harmonica and the gutsy throb of a mainline chicago band is pure wizardry. DeLay has developed his reputation as a blues innovator, but he thoroughly enjoyed getting back to traditional blues territory. DeLay was also delighted to have one of his heroes, Jimmy Dawkins, as a guest on two tracks.  Singer Zora Young also made a guest appearance and co-wrote one song.

While in chicago, deLay enjoyed the food and other wonders locals take for granted. He was so taken with the city he thinks about moving there-a big step for a guy who has spent his whole life in Portland. "I turned down offers to move to L.A.," he says, "but chicago-I don't know, if there was one other city I'd like to live in, that's the one."  At the very least, he should return for an encore of this exceptional album.

Norman Davis

© copyright 1999, Suncoast Blues Society