At first glance, Buddy Guy looked every bit the Louisiana native as he took the stage Monday night at his nightclub, Buddy Guy’s Legends, in his trademark blue overalls.
A closer look, though, revealed that his headband bore the logo of an athletic shoe company Guy has endorsed. As his fingers slid over his signature Fender Stratocaster, his gold ring and watch gleamed in the stage lights and the drinks brought to him onstage came in cognac glasses.
Contradictions probably are inevitable in a musician who, after three decades of laboring on the blues circuit, has enjoyed three consecutive Grammy Awards and record sales in the neighborhood of 2 million copies in the ’90s. Thus, a mix of back-porch immediacy, show-biz glitter and crass commercialism characterized Guy’s nearly two-hour set, which was the fourth in a homestand of 21 mostly sold-out shows.
Backed by a six-man band, Guy at first emphasized older blues material such as the torrid opener, “You’ve Been Gone Too Long.” Frequently beginning songs in a silky purr or pleading falsetto, his broad-spread fingers quavering along with his voice, Guy then erupted into desperate cries and fiery guitar playing, his precise articulation and rending tone making even his simplest licks a thrill.
Even after he turned to more pop-oriented material, there was no denying the soulfulness of “Feels Like Rain” or the rowdiness of “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In,” as the crowd shouted along on the chorus and Guy wandered through the club during an extended solo.
“You know I love what I do,” he told the crowd once he returned to the stage, and the brilliant, beaming smile that often crossed Guy’s face testified to his delight.
On other occasions, though, these fan-friendly displays disrupted the music. An overblown rendition of “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” literally stopped in its tracks when Guy broke a guitar string during a too-frenzied solo.
Guy’s half-hearted guitar impersonations of Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King and Eric Clapton late in the show suggested he had lost his enthusiasm, as did warhorses “I’ve Got My Mojo Working” and “Sweet Home Chicago” and the encore that didn’t follow them.
When Guy’s heart was in the right place, though, it was in his music as well, particularly when he brought onstage pianist Pinetop Perkins, an elderly veteran of blues legend Muddy Waters’ band. After they performed Waters’ “She’s 19 Years Old” together, Guy graciously focused attention on Perkins, who played a pair of barrelhouse blues instrumentals. As he watched his forebear roll through the delightful boogies, Guy flashed a smile worth a million dollars.
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Buddy Guy performs at Legends, 754 S. Wabash Ave., through Jan. 23. Call 312-427-0333.
Pinetop Perkins performs Friday and Saturday at Rosa’s, 3420 W. Armitage Ave. Call 773-342-0452.
