Forgotten Treasures: Bobby Bland (1930 – 2013)

Another soul giant passed away recently, but Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland was more than a tear-jerking blues man. In his obituary he was described as “among the great storytellers of blues and soul music… [who] created tempestuous arias of love, betrayal and resignation, set against roiling, dramatic orchestrations, and left the listener drained but awed.” That is a fitting description for the type of gutwrenchingly honest ballads he produced, but it does not do justice to the monument this artist should be considered as. With significant hits and influential songs throughout a career lasting close to 40 years, the man deserves to be inducted in the pantheon of Blues&Soul legends, but if anything this post will share some of his rawest cuts and etch his memory in your soul. Because truly great soul music transcends genres and goes straight for the emotional fibre.

I can still remember picking up one of his earliest releases the comp Two steps from the Blues (Duke records) which gave me a better understanding where the man who created the now infamous (kanye/Jay sampled) Ain’t No Love had started out. And one thing was certain, through all the decades the blues had truly never left his soul. Some of the greatest downtrotten soul songs were released on Duke, but it’s hard to conjure up a more perfect example than the haunting I’ll TakeCare of You. The horn squirm out and you are immediately swept away in a gloomy cry for affection as the soul giant paints a map of broken lifepaths. Bland always brings the weight of his existence to his songs and with the rugged Deep in my Soul he bares his soul with howling vocals and powerful blues growls. The whole song feels like a funeral procession, so I wanted to finish things up with more of an upbeat blues groover. I’m so Tired has a more slick feel with a snappier rythm section; the track may be funky but Bobbly ‘Blue’ makes sure to remind us is his song. We lost another legend, but his music will live on and already has through hiphop production both here and abroad. So grab a stiff drink and get familiar with the man’s catalogue.

DJ Asma

A Montreal native with West-African roots, Antoine started developing a love for records when his father passed his collection of French, African, Caribbean and Brazilian classics onto him. Ever since, the collector turned selector has spent countless hours in musky basements both here and abroad (Dakar, Lima, Paris, Quito, Rio) in the never-ending search for the perfect beat!