Album Review: Nick Gravenites with Pete Sears – Rogue Blues

NOTE: Gravenites passed away shortly after this review first appeared in Living Blues.

Nick Gravenites is music royalty. A prime exponent of Chicago blues, he was a towering figure in the blues-informed rock of the 1960s. Though he wasn’t actually a member of the groundbreaking Butterfield Blues Band, he co-wrote their classic “Born in Chicago,” and (with guitarist Mike Bloomfield) co-composed their game-changing “East West.” A contemporary (and musical associate) of Charlie Musselwhite and other giants, Gravenites moved west to San Francisco, becoming a leading light in that city’s musical scene. He would be instrumental in the careers of Quicksilver Messenger Service, the Kozmic Blues Band (featuring Janis Joplin) and served as producer for recordings by Otis Rush and others. After Joplin’s passing, Gravenites took over as lead singer in Big Brother and the Holding Company.

By 1980, Gravenites was leading his own band, Animal Mind. A frequent associate/sideman was British keyboardist Pete Sears, by that point a veteran of sessions for Rod Stewart, Jerry Garcia, Jimi Hendrix and many others. (Sears was also a member of rock band Jefferson Starship for more than a decade.)

Gravenites’ work in music slowed down a bit by the 21^st century; between 2000 and 2023 he would release only two albums, both of them live sets. But in 2022 and 2023 he teamed up with longtime friend Sears to record this seven-song collection, Rogue Blues.

Opening with a reading of Howlin’ Wolf’s 1958 number “Poor Boy,” Gravenities – who sings but does not play on the album – delivers a soulful performance. Sears turns in a delightfully rollicking barrelhouse-styled paino part, plus overdubbed bass. Wally Ingram lays down a spare but sympathetic, shuffling drum part, and old pal Charlie Musselwhite wails wonderfully on blues harp.

The remaining six tune on Rogue Blues are all Gravenites originals. The name-checking “Blues Singer” delivers what its title promises, with Gravenites playfully telling us what’s special about each of his heroes. Jimmy Vivino’s steely acoustic guitar spars with Sears’ piano.

“Left Hand Soul” strays from the standard blues changes, instead presenting a saloon-song arrangement that features only Sears and harmonica player Lester Chambers. The less-is-more aesthetic finds fulfillment here. The old-timey “Blackberry Jam” is redolent of early 20^th century blues a la Louis Armstrong. Willard Dixon’s clarinet and Keith Baltz’s Sousaphone deftly double down on that character.

Vivino’s slide guitar is impressive on “Blues Back Off of Me,” but what really elevates the track is Gravenites’ spirited vocal, backed by Vivino and Sears on harmonies. Musselwhite returns on harmonica. With mandolin (Courtesy Vivino) and Sears on accordion, the loping “Brown Paper Bag” is a delight, finding Gravenites regaling listeners with what seems like a true-life autobiographical lyric. The classic country of “What Time Is It” closes the album with a crying-in-your-beer melody, arrangement and lyrics. Sears does his best Floyd Cramer impression, and Bary Sless contributes the obligatory (and note-perfect) pedal steel guitar.

With a run time of under 30 minutes, Rogue Blues might be best described as an EP, not an album. But if one measures by quality rather than quantity, it’s an important work nonetheless.