For those who have witnessed the swift ascent of the Mighty Blue Kings, the band’s shows over the weekend at the Skyline Stage had the look of a major turning point.
It was just a couple of years ago, after all, that the Kings were making their bow at the Green Mill Jazz Club, which soon was overrun with listeners and party revelers flocking to their Tuesday-night shows.
The musical exuberance that made the Kings a sensation at the Green Mill has transformed a local party band into a major concert attraction, with an overflow audience turning out for the Kings’ three-night stand at the Skyline Stage, on Navy Pier.
Why have the Mighty Blue Kings taken off? Many reasons, starting with the band’s perpetually upbeat, life-affirming approach to the jump-jive music of the ’40s and ’50s. In an age when a great deal of pop, rock and alternative music is dark and nihilistic, the Kings offer listeners a distinctly brighter view of life.
Their brand of music-making may be escapist, but by drawing on the rich traditions of ’40s swing orchestras and ’50s jump bands, the Kings remind listeners of a genuinely optimistic era in American pop music. And by addressing this vintage repertoire with their own youthful enthusiasm (all the while adding hints of modern-day dissonance), the Kings make the music of Louis Jordan, Louis Prima, the Treniers and the like freshly meaningful to young audiences of the ’90s.
That much was obvious by glancing at the sellout crowd Saturday night at the Skyline Stage, where a sea of young people swayed, danced and sang along with virtually every number in the Kings’ songbook. At times, lead singer Ross Bon simply stepped away from the microphone, allowing the crowd to carry the song.
Obviously, this is a band with a fervent following, but the Mighty Blue Kings did not coast. Firing off one hot dance number after another, occasionally slowing down to a deep and sultry blues, the band sounded tighter, sharper and more emotionally aggressive than ever. The past couple of years may have flown by quickly, but the ensemble has learned a great deal along the way.
The most striking development is in the singing of Ross Bon, an extroverted performer who always had charisma to spare. Bon has developed immensely as a singer, his baritone showing added nuance, control and expression.
The band, too, has advanced considerably, its horn passages dispatched with as much precision as energy, its rhythm section providing a buoyant backbeat. Still, the Kings really need a piano to fill out the ensemble sound.
To pay homage to their elders, the Kings featured several guest artists, including Pinetop Perkins, David Myers and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. Together, venerable masters and young disciples spoke the same, timeless musical language.
