OMAR COLEMAN
LIVE AT ROSA’S LOUNGE
DELMARK RECORDS DE 846
SNATCH IT BACK AND HOLD IT/WALL TO WALL–I’M READY–BORN AND RAISED–SLOW DOWN BABY/JODY’S GOT YOUR GIRL AND GONE–RASPBERRY WINE–LUCKY MAN–ONE REQUEST–GIVE ME THE GREEN LIGHT–TWO HEADED WOMAN
Omar Coleman burst onto the scene like a bolt of thunder and a streak of heat with his 2015 Delmark debut, “Born And Raised,” fusing the flash of Junior Wells and the funk of Bobby Rush with the showmanship of the both of ’em. It’s not surprising that Delmark wanted to get him in front of a live audience with the tapes rolling, so “Live At Rosa’s Lounge” does just that. These ten cuts are a mix of originals and classic crowd-pleasers that prove what a powerhouse vocalist and harp-blaster Omar is.
Joining Omar is some of Chi-Town’s best, too. Pete Galanis is on guitar, Neal O’Hara on keys, Marty Binder on drums, and Dave Forte on bass for the first five cuts, and Ari Seder on the second five. Omar kicks off this funk-a-thon with one of our all-time favorites from Junior Wells’ “Hoodoo Man Blues” album, “Snatch It Back And Hold It,” which slides right into Johnnie Taylor’s git-down party anthem, “Wall To Wall and front to back,” with Pete’s chicken-scratchin’ licks reminiscent of vintage Jimmy Nolen from the heyday of James Brown. Up next is a swaggering “I’m Ready,” with a fine piano groove from Neal. He gets his funk on, Bobby Rush style, with “Sit Down,” which segues’ straight into another crowd-pleaser, “Jody’s Got Your Girl And Gone.” Everybody gets a good swig of that stop-time, jazzy swing of “Raspberry Wine,” and Omar closes out with a stone country-blues read of another of Junior’s cuts, that “Two Headed Woman that knows everything I do!” Pete gets in some sweet, extended solos over Omar’s harp on this one.
Omar played some straight rock and roll up in Rosa’s for our favorite. “Slow Down Baby, you’re too fast for me,” is an original, pedal-to-the-metal dance floor burner that’ll sho’ nuff get you moving!
Omar Coleman turned ’em out for “Live At Rosa’s Lounge,” giving that home crowd just what it needed—one of Chicago’s best players serving up some down-home blues the way they were meant to be played! Omar, we love you, man! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society.
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