Lurrie Bell & The Bell Dynasty

Tribute To Carey Bell w/special guests

Delmark Records

As a youngster growing up Lurrie Bell was surrounded by the Blues as his father was the legendary harmonica player Carey Bell. Lurrie first picked up the guitar at the age of six and polished his playing skills with Big Walter Horton and Eddie Taylor. In 1975, at the age of seventeen, Lurrie joined Koko Taylor’s Blues Machine and toured with Koko for four years. He appeared on one of his father’s albums and on a compilation before releasing his own debut “Everybody Wants to Win” in 1989.

Lurrie has twenty-three Blues Music Award nominations. In 2012 Lurrie won two BMA’s for his work on the album “The Chicago Blues A Living History: The (R)evolution Continues”. In 2014 he won the BMA for Song of The Year “Blues in My Soul”. The following year Lurrie won the 2015 BMA for Traditional Blues Male Artist of The Year. In 2017 he won again for “Can’t Shake This Feeling” the Traditional Blues Album of The Year.

The Bell Dynasty includes Lurrie, vocals and guitar; and his brothers Steve Bell (also a member of John Primer’s Real Deal Blues Band), harmonica; Tyson Bell, bass; and James Bell, drums and vocals. Special guests include harmonica aces Charlie Musselwhite and Billy Branch; Sumito “Arriyo” Ariyoshi, piano; and guitarist Eddie Taylor, Jr. “The connections between the Taylors and Bells go back over a half a century, and Eddie Taylor, Jr.’s inclusion in this project is as perfect and natural a fit as the one between Carey and Eddie, Sr.”

This album is a treasure chest of Traditional Blues. Included are songs from Muddy Waters, Big Walter Horton, two from Little Water Jacobs including “I Got To Go” featuring Charlie Musselwhite; and two from Junior Wells. “When I Get Drunk” was co-written by Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and first recorded in 1947.

Three songs were written by The Bell Dynasty’s patriarch Carey including “So Hard To Leave You”; “Women in Trouble” and “Heartaches and Pain”. Drummer James has written “Eyes On The Prize” and he takes the lead vocal. Branch has written and plays harp on his tribute “Carey Bell Was A Friend of Mine”.

Lurrie Bell and The Bell Dynasty have been together for over 30 years. The cover of the album features a photo of the brothers the way they look today. The back page of the inside booklet features an older photo of the band; the four brothers with their father. In 1988 Carey & Lurrie Bell released “Dynasty” on JSP Records included in the band were Steve, Tyson and James; and they even followed up with a European tour.  As previously stated this album is a treasure and easily a nominee for Traditional Blues Album of The Year.

Richard Ludmerer

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