Carl Weathersby  Live At Rosa's Lounge Bearpath Records

A few weeks ago, I did a post on my Friday Blues Fix blog that paid tribute to Carl Weathersby, who passed away in August after battling health issues for a long time. Despite various setbacks over the years, including losing a leg to diabetes in 2019, Weathersby soldiered on, making live appearances when he was able, maintaining that intensity and energy that was his trademark. Even though he relocated to Texas in 2016, he continued to return to Chicago and play there, as well as in various clubs in Austin, until he couldn’t anymore.

Weathersby had been a favorite of mine since I heard him on Billy Branch’s The Blues Keep Following Me Around into his subsequent four-album tenure with Evidence Records. In my blog post, I mentioned that he had released a live “LP-only” album in 2019 that I’d been unable to hear. A couple of weeks after I posted that, I was scanning Antones Record Shop’s site late one night and ran across a CD copy of Live At Rosa’s Lounge (Bearpath Records) on their site, which excited me so much that I ordered it on the spot.

I’m not sure when this was recorded (it was released in 2019), but the eight-song set (clocking in at about 40 minutes) features Weathersby backed by Corey Dennison (guitar), Jay Davenport (drums), and Aaron Whittier (bass). The songs will be familiar to Weathersby’s longtime fans from their studio versions on his six solo albums, and they are a mix of the guitarist’s musical scope --- blues, rock, and soul. The set has a bit of a stripped-down feel, which gives it a more intimate effect.

The opening cut, “Travelin’ Man,” is from Weathersby’s 2009 Magnolia Records release, I’m Still Standing Here, and it’s a greasy mid-tempo number that showcases his fiery guitar work. “Danger All About” is one of two tracks from 2000’s Come To Papa, taking a tough look at urban inner city life,. John Hiatt’s “Feels Like Rain” has appeared on two Weathersby albums (2005’s Hold On and 1997’s Looking Out My Window) and he sings this one like he owns it every time he plays it.

“Help Me Somebody,” the second track originally recorded on Come To Papa, is very effective using the stripped-down approach, focusing on Weathersby’s soulful delivery (as potent a weapon as his guitar playing). The powerful “Looking Out My Window” finds the band completely plugged in behind Weathersby on one of the standout songs of the show. The funky “We All Wanna Boogie” is from 1998’s Restless Feeling, and it’s clear that the aging veteran still had plenty of fire in the belly with this track.

“Somebody Help Me,” a slow burner from 1996’s Don’t Lay Your Blues On Me, was one of the standouts on Weathersby’s debut, and he’s in fine form both vocally and instrumentally with this version. The album closer, “Willingly,” originally appeared on Hold On, and reflects the musical direction Weathersby was taking on his later albums, blending more soul with his blues.

It always seemed like Carl Weathersby was on his way to becoming one of the big names in the blues world before his health problems laid him low for a few years. He was able to rebound enough to give us a couple of releases after his Evidence stint. Listeners will also get a taste of his live performances with Live At Rosa’s Lounge, which was always a favorite place for him to play during and after his time in Chicago. It may be hard to track down (Antones Record Shop was the only place I’ve been able to find it), but it is well worth tracking down.

--- Graham Clarke