which, back then, was ruled by the British Invasion groups, Bob Dylan, Motown and the master, Ray Charles.
'I used to lie on my bed listening to that music and telling myself, 'someday, man, that's what I want to do,' he recalled.
Then he picked up a copy of Otis Redding/The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at Monterey Pop Festival. 'That record made me realize there was a whole other world out there,' Robinson said. 'Part of it was the energy of a live recording-there was something riveting about Otis Redding, a soul singer, putting so much energy into a song. That really struck me, totally opened my eyes to a lot of other stuff that was going on.'
Today, Robinson is one of a handful of vocalists: Otis Clay, Syl Johnson, James Carr, Robert Cray and a few others who, like Redding, excel at blending the beauty of soul with the raw emotion that is the blues. Last Go Round is a welcome reminder of just how good the two genres go together. Not too sweet, not too rough, and no matter what the tempo, straight from the heart.
'We've all experienced pain and hurt and loss,' said Robinson, who writes most of his material, all of it amazingly fresh. 'I like to think of my songs as vignettes; those small glimpses into life that we've all had from time to time.'
On the title track, a wry romp co-written with John P. Bean, Robinson takes us back-or maybe you're still there-to those times when nothing's gone right, you're down to your last smile and a change of scenery sure sounds good.
A versatile performer, Robinson moves from 'Since You've Been Gone,' a beautiful ballad, to the hard-driving optimism of 'if I Had It To Do Again,' to a pleading version of Little Milton's 'More and More,' to an after hours cover of 'Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues.'
Throughout Last Go Round Robinson is accompanied by guitarist Alex Schultz, a finesse player best known for his swinging tenures with William Clarke and, later, Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers. Catch his Albert King riffs on 'Payback,' his toying with some Jimmie Vaughan on 'No Exit Blues,' providing the old-school push on the Little Walter-esque 'I've Got To Go,' and somehow recalling Robert Ward-flavored vibrato on the melancholy 'Another Song, Another Day.'
Robinson's rhythm section-Harlan Terson, bass, Jon Hiller, drums is truly one of Chicago's finest.
"Jon's groove is just a constant source of amazement,' Robinson said. 'He's so solid, so in the pocket.'
Hiller recorded with Jimmy Johnson and Eddy Clearwater when he was still a teenager. He made his Delmark debut with Dave Specter and Barkin' Bill Smith on Bluebird Blues (Delmark 652). It was Specter who brought both Tad and Jon to Delmark's attention. Since then Hiller has also recorded with Karen Carroll and Bonnie Lee for Delmark.
Terson played behind Lonnie Brooks for six years, 1976-82, before backing Otis Rush and Johnny Littlejohn. He's recorded with Eddie Shaw, Robert Covington, Bonnie Lee, Lurrie Bell and Deitra Farr. 'The first time 1 heard Harlan he was on the Main Stage at the Chicago Blues Festival with Otis Rush,' Robinson said. 'His bass lines are so smooth-to me, they're the epitome of Chicago blues.'
Kevin McKendree, a Nashville cat who's obviously listened to a lot of Jay McShann and Otis Spann, appears on piano and organ. 'Kevin played on the Janis Joplin tribute CD that I produced for House of Blues and now he's working with Delbert McClinton.'
Robinson moved to Chicago in the mid-1980s, landing a steady Wednesday night gig at Roso's Lounge on the city's West Side. His band would play the opening and closing sets, keeping the middle open for some serious jamming-which attracted youngbloods like Steve Freund (Sunnyland Slim's guitarist at the time), Lurrie Bell and Dave Specter, and respected elders Dave Myers, Huckelberry Hound, Lavelle White, Chico Chism and the legend himself, Junior Wells.
'I'll never forget the night he came in,' Robinson said. 'There was Junior Wells, the most dapper man in the blues sitting at the bar, so close enough that his foot was resting on the stage. I could tell he wanted to play, so I called him up.Junior Wells is one of my biggest influences. I always thought he was a great singer and I considered his harp playing to be the most subtle in a 11 the blues. His playing was so sparse, he could say more with fewer notes than any musician that I'd ever heard.'
After two years at Roso's, Robinson spent about 18 months in 'Big Shoulders,' with Ken Saydak before leaving the music business. But within a few months, Dave Specter recruited him and recorded Blueplicity (Delmark 664, 1994) and, later, Live in Europe (Delmark 677, 1995). After Specter, Robinson went solo recording the adventurous One to Infinity (Delmark 673, 1994) and moving to a small town in Indiana to raise a family.
Lately, Robinson has been working in clubs around Indianapolis, private parties and events in Chicago, European dates, occassionally filling in with Dave Specter and guesting with Detroit's Johnny Bassett and the Blues Insurgents.
'In the blues, the main thing a musician strives for is their own brand, their own voice,' Robinson said. Last Go Round is what I'm about, these are the things I know.'
—— Dave Ranney, Bluesaccess
.
