Of all of the live DVD/CD sets Joe Bonmassa has released, this Red Rocks effort is possibly one of the most special. Whilst the amazing four disc ‘tour de force’ bonanza represented a mass-cleansing of Joe Bonamassa’s stunning back catalogue, Muddy Wolf is a brilliantly realized concert in one of America’s most scenic venues showcasing one of the world’s finest guitarists paying tribute to his heroes. Apparently challenged to undertake the performance by long-time collaborator Kevin Shirley, Joe performs two sets – one set of Muddy Waters covers and one set of Howling Wolf covers – followed by a handful of his own works to round the evening out and the respect with which the artists are treated and the wonderful production of the show makes it a stand-out performance even when taken amidst Joe’s illustrious collection of concert recordings.
What makes Muddy Wolf work so well is that it is obviously a journey of discovery for Joe. He knew the songs, he says, but not as well a she should have, and in learning the material for live performance he gained an enhanced understanding of, and respect for, the music of those undisputed masters. That respect is incredibly apparent in the way that the DVD/Blu ray has been put together. The film opens with a short preamble in which Joe says a few words about Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf before segueing into vintage footage of Muddy talking about the blues. The film then moves to show Muddy in concert before Joe and his band take over. It’s an interesting way of introducing the show, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done before, and it really works, helping to bring Muddy back to life for an audience who are unlikely ever to have had the opportunity of seeing him in person. It says much of the respect and reverence of all involved in the project and it keeps the focus on the long departed masters of the blues rather than on Joe who is content to act as a medium for these amazing and well-worn songs.
As with the recent ‘tour de force’, ‘live in Vienna’ and ‘Live at the Beacon Theater’ outings, praise is due to the editing team who put the DVD/Blu Ray together. Perfectly capturing the majesty of the event, the camera lingers long enough to capture each musician and also the beauty of the scenery whilst remaining dynamic enough to keep the interest. This is a perfectly shot performance and it is important to note that the crew who worked on this clearly understood that this was event that needed no digital enhancement to add ‘excitement’, rather they worked together to provide a best-seat-in-the-house view that makes the concert thrilling home viewing (and also a touch envy-inducing). This, coupled with the typically excellent mixing job of Kevin Shirley means that the DVD/Blu ray is the best way to go, but it must also be noted that, for those of you who like their music on the move, the double CD also includes all the tracks (including the Muddy Waters / Howling Wolf extracts) and the quality of recording is equally apparent as a stereo CD track as it is an enhanced DTS surround track. In short, whichever format you go for, this is of typically superlative quality and I’d even hazard the opinion that the blu ray, with its crystal clear shots and stunning audio, is near reference quality.
As for the show, well, this is Joe at his most traditionally bluesy. Shorn of the Led Zeppelin-esque fire that informs some aspects of his work (until the end at least), Joe delivers the two covers sets in his own inimitable style. With an amazing band in tow he turns Red Rocks into a party and you can see the crowd are in heaven from the first note of ‘tiger in your tank’ to the last ringing chord of ‘the ballad of John Henry’. Joe , as always, has a dream band with him including Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass), Reese Wynans (keys), Kirk Fletcher (guitar), Mike Henderson (harmonica) Nick Lane (trombone), Ron Dziubla (sax) and Lee Thornburg (trumpet and horn). What always impresses is how wonderfully included Joe makes each band member appear, always encouraging the audience to cheer their many moments of stunning musicianship and happy to allow each musician to shine at various points. The band may bear the Joe Bonamassa name, but there’ll be no over-bloated egos here. It’s a virtuoso band. A band made to play the blues and clearly having the collective time of their lives. Smiles abound as the classic tracks are given a respectful fresh lick of paint and sent spinning out into the warm night air of Denver.
Throughout the show Joe is in fine voice. From the moment that ‘tiger in your tank’ comes swaggering from the stage you can tell that this is going to be one of those rare, near-mythic performances where everyone wishes they could have been there, and the atmosphere is electric. A stunning run through of the Muddy Waters standard ‘you shook me’ forms the centrepiece of the set, ‘double trouble’ is as vibrant today as it must have been when it was first aired and ‘all aboard’ (which also closed Joes recent spate of European shows) is a suitably ramshackle closer. In total Muddy gets seven songs covered and each one is dusted down and restored with great reverence with the effect that it’s like watching a hitherto black and white film in colour for the first time, a juxtaposition that is hinted at by the segue from original footage to Joe’s band that opens the video.
Howling Wolf is given a similar treatment. Taking a brief break, Joe and his band leave the stage as footage of Howling Wolf talking the blues is played out on the giant screens flanking the stage. As with Muddy Waters, footage of Howling Wolf playing segues into Joe and his band and the track listing includes such classics as ‘Spoonful’ (the track given a thorough working over by Cream), a stunning ‘killing floor’. As with Muddy, Howling Wolf gets seven tracks aired and each one is played with a wonderful sense of joy by a band who seem unable to believe they’re playing to near 10,000 people in such a beautiful setting. This mixture of professionalism, passion and humility is what makes the performance so awe-inspiring and you never get that there’s a sense of entitlement emanating from the band despite the fact that each member is a consummate performer with a long history of musical achievements behind them, rather they play with their hearts and the audience (whether at home or present on the day) cannot help but connect.
The concert ends with a handful of songs from ‘different shades of blue’ (‘hey baby (new rising son)’, ‘oh beautiful!’ and ‘love ain’t a love song’) and a couple of Joe Standards (‘sloe gin’ and ‘the ballad of John Henry’) and it is noticeable that the material does not sound out of place even next to such vaunted classics, highlighting once and for all that Joe Bonamassa is not just a master musician, but also a song-writer of note and power.
Overall, whether you opt for the beautifully filmed DVD/Blu ray or the perfectly produced CD, ‘Muddy Wolf’ is a set that you’ll want to add to your collection. As much a passion project as a gig, it is a wonderfully played tribute to the absolute masters of the genre played by a set of musicians at the very top of their game. Joe remains amazingly down to earth, as quick to acknowledge his roots as he is his bandmates and there’s a genuine sense of connection between him and his audience as he powers through a dream set list of classic blues songs. Whether you are a long time Bonamassa fan, a blues fan who has somehow failed to see the light or whether you are arriving at the Bonamassa party for the first time, this amazing concert disc is an essential purchase. A tribute to the masters, Muddy Waters and Howling Wolf, and a testament to the enduring power of the blues, ‘Muddy Wolf’ is an unmitigated joy from start to finish.
