Bobby Rush (photo by Laura Carbone)
A few weeks before his 90th birthday, all-time great bluesman Bobby Rush honored us with his music and stories during his No Depression Session at AmericanaFest 2023, shot at Jaan’s House in Nashville. The studio crew felt the energy shift when Rush walked in, and I sincerely hope we’ve captured some of the magic for you here.
Rush told us that he’d been playing over 260 shows each year for the 65 years leading up to 2020. The pandemic barely slowed him down; he said he was on pace to play 212 shows in 2023. The vitality that earned him the “King of the Chitlin’ Circuit” title is still burning and keeping him moving forward.
The music Rush spent a lifetime playing emanates from him whether he’s performing or not; you feel it as soon as he arrives. His guitar playing on the session’s first song, “She Left Me,” is sparing, and turns out to be the exact right amount of guitar to get the goosebumps going. For the second song, “Garbage Man,” he opts out of the guitar completely, instead accompanying himself with harmonica and heel stomps. Third, Rush picks the guitar back up to play “Swing Low” from his 2013 album Down in Louisiana.
Rush’s current record, All My Love For You, is nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2024 Grammys (ND review).
Find previous No Depression Sessions at AmericanaFest 2023 here, and look for more in the coming weeks.
