Although Robert’s West Side opened less than two years ago, this music club in Forest Park, Illinois has scheduled a slew of great blues, roots and Americana artists. The new venue’s latest coup was booking JD Simo and Luther Dickinson when they came through town in support of their recently released Do the Rump album.
Simo, Dickinson, and drummer Adam Abrashoff played at Robert’s on Saturday, March 29th with two sets that showcased their unique blend influenced by Hill Country blues, spirituals, swamp rock, and Afrobeat with a few other genres mixed in during a mesmerizing night of music.
Throughout the night, it was obvious that these two are in sync on both a musical and personal level. Between the jokes and easy banter, they buzzed back and forth musically by trading searing guitar licks, sharing vocal duties, and wowing all in attendance with an amped-up and amazingly collaborative performance.
When you think about the pair’s roots, it’s not surprising that Simo and Dickinson are so in-tune with each other’s musical moods. They first met as members of one of the ultimate jam bands, Phil Lesh and Friends. They hit it off on a personal level and started playing together. This culminated in the recording of Do the Rump at Simo’s home studio in Nashville, Tennessee.
While the pair clicked on a collaborative level, they had already earned their stripes for outside accomplishments. Dickinson co-founded the North Mississippi All-Stars and has played with John Hiatt, the Black Crowes and many others. Simo has been an in-demand session musician and has contributed his stellar work on tracks with Chris Isaak, Beyonce, Jack White as well as showcasing his guitar skills on the soundtrack for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis flick.
Adam Abarashoff was also on board for Do the Rump recording sessions since his dexterity on drums and familiarity with the loose rhythms of jazz and Afrobeat helped enhance the musical mission of Do the Rump. With Abarashoff back on drums at Robert’s, the crowd got a taste of what it was like when this talented trio was jamming down in Simo’s basement.
The song selections at the Robert’s show also reflected the many diverse influences found on Do the Rump. They did heaps of hypnotic Hill Country blues in the spirit of Junior Kimbrough and RL Burnside with a healthy dose of John Lee Hooker, JJ Cale and Fred McDowell stylings seamlessly mixed in. They also took on a nice rendition of Bobby Charles’ “Street People.” which came out in 1972 and still resonates today. There were soulful spirituals, country-flavored numbers and an extended version of “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” which worked perfectly due to Simo and Dickinson’s history with Phil Lesh and Friends.
Simo and Dickinson are slated to play everywhere from the Big Blues Bender in Las Vegas to the Telluride Blues and Brews Festival in Colorado later this year. With such high-profile festival gigs on tap, it was a special treat to see them play in the intimate confines at Robert’s on Forest Park’s Madison Street.
All images by Howard Greenblatt for American Blues Scene:
