“Bobby Bland isn’t just the best blues singer, there is no better singer in any genre”

~ B.B. King

By now most of our readers know that the man known as Bobby “Blue” Bland passed away on June 23^rd  at his home near Memphis, Tennessee. He was referred to for most of the last half century as "The Lion of the Blues". Even though he was the contemporary of the man known as the King of the Blues, there would be few who would dispute that Bobby “Blue” Bland was the king of the blues jungle. Bobby Bland was one of the biggest icons that the blues genre has ever produced. He was an entertainer of immense talent and possessed one of the most instantly recognizable voices in American music. That voice and his style have been emulated, imitated and admired for more than half a century.

Bobby “Blue” Bland bridged the gulf between blues, gospel, soul and rhythm and blues like no one else has before or since with the possible exception of Ray Charles. At a time when blues music had a very regional accent, Bland served to connect the blues dialects of Kansas City, Memphis, Texas and the West Coast to create a sub genre all its own that can be best described as Bobby “Blue” Bland music.

If the human voice is the ultimate instrument, then Bobby Bland was the ultimate head cutter. If music has a magical way of reaching into your soul, then Bobby Bland was the greatest spiritual guru. If blues is the healer, then maybe he should have been called Dr. Bobby “Blue” Bland.

Bobby Bland made music that had an uptown sophistication and brought it to a down home audience. He brought his own style, elegance and grace to the Chitlin’ Circuit and brought the Chitlin’ Circuit to the world.  He connected to his audiences in a deeply personal and evocative way that very few musicians would even dare imagine.  

Bland also seemed to embody a series of contradictions. He had upwards of sixty hits on the Billboard charts, twenty four of these made it into the top ten. Yet his music has been described as being underappreciated. At various points of his career it seemed he was ahead of his time as well as a throwback to a bygone era. He was a great showman who didn’t engage in the usual trapping of showmanship. He became the blues’ biggest sex symbol at middle age, yet didn’t make any outward concessions towards that part of his appeal. Bland exuded a combination of self assured confidence and vulnerability that was a powerful aphrodisiac to women, particularly to those in the African-American community.  

He recorded a series of blues ballads that are absolute masterpieces and essential entries in the blues canon. The songs I Smell Trouble, I’ll Take Care of You, Cry Cry Cry, I Pity the Fool, Blind Man, Who Will the Next Fool Be, Driftin’ Blues, Saint James Infirmary and of course his version of Story Monday  are some of the most emotional, moving and powerful pieces of music ever recorded. Irresistible grooves imbibe such tunes as It’s My Life Baby, Don’t Cry No More, Honey Bee, 36-22-36 and the gospel infused Yield Not to Temptation.  By the time Bobby Blue Bland and his band get through with Ain’t That Loving You Baby you might feel the need to check the stage for an impact crater. Yet it may be two up tempo numbers that have became his most well known songs. His 1957 hit, Further on up the Road and 1961’s Turn on Your Love Life were great tunes that were absolutely butchered by rock stars. Go back and listen to those originals and hear some stunning musicianship, incredible arrangements and, of course, that voice.

Phenomenal horn arrangements that often included dramatic crescendos and flourishes were a trademark of his music but it was the guitar work of two men that remains some of the most breathtaking in blues history. The great contributions, at various times in his career, of guitarists Clarence Holliman and then Wayne Bennett to Bland’s body of work can’t be overstated.

Personally, I have been very fortunate to be in the company of Bobby Bland at a handful of social settings through the years, often with members of his bands, past and present. He called every musician by first name. He also knew the names of their wives, girlfriends and children. When a musician who has worked with Bland evoked his name it was with the type of affection usually reserved for the most beloved member of their immediate family. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have heard folks say to me, usually in a southern drawl, “Bobby is good people.”

I witnessed Bobby Bland treat his fans with the same humility, class and dignity.

Bobby Bland sold more records, headlined more shows, played in front of the largest audiences for decades, while engendering as much respect, admiration and affection as almost anyone who has ever worn the mantle “blues man”. Yet he remained as humble and down to earth as can be imagined. I can’t think of a single musician who felt so at ease in such a bright spotlight and on a big stage. He seemed to be equally comfortable away from that glare and attention.

As far as B.B. King’s assertion that he was ‘the greatest singer’, well that’s a matter of conjecture, personal taste and opinion of course but I am inclined to think B.B. just might be right. Either way, today I am not in the mood to argue with a king or wrestle with a lion. Instead I am going to turn on the stereo and listen to the old Duke-Peacock recordings of Bobby “Blue” Bland and enjoy some of the greatest music ever made. 

Robert Calvin Bland (January 27, 1930 – June, 23, 2013)

-  David Mac