Midway through his set, Rush told a story about how he had a guitar as a young boy in the 1930 that he kept hidden, it would upset his preacher father. His voice was strong, but more importantly Rush displayed a keen wit and ribald sense of humor that dispels the notion that the blues is chiefly a genre for expressing sadness and hard luck stories.Īfter offering up some detailed, comic sex-and-relationship advice to two 60-something married couples seated in front of the stage, Rush played “I Got 3 Problems,” a harmonica-and-vocal lamentation on having “problems with my woman, my girlfriend and my wife.” Before that, he offered up a pair of surreally ridiculous tales of marital infidelity, “Cabbage Head Blues” and “Garbage Man,” that had Rush and the audience cracking up by the end. On both instruments, his playing was fluid and slick, showing no diminution at his age. Maintaining a primitive, steady beat with his foot, he alternated between sitting and playing the acoustic guitar and standing to blow some mouth harp during his performance. For 85 minutes, Rush entertained the 50 or so folks in attendance with autobiographical stories and context on his career, jokes and his quirky spin on country blues.Īs a musician, Rush displayed a mastery of the form. The 88-year-old Rush is the last of his generation of blues singers still alive, much less finding increased success, and on Thursday night he was at Caffe Lena for a solo acoustic set. The crowd: Half-full and enthusiastic throughout the set. Highlights: “Garbage Man,” “Cabbage Head Blues,” “Night Fishin’” Where: Caffe Lena, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs
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