Music Video Distributors, those folks that we have spoken of with great fondness in the past, has announced the April 3rd release of a Bobby Rush live performance DVD. Titled Live At Ground Zero Blues Club, the disc captures Rush in his favorite element – on stage, performing his trademark mix of blues, soul and funk with traces of hip-hop. Rush calls his music “folk funk,” and if you have never seen this dynamic performer live, believe the Reverend when I say that you don’t know what you’re missing.

Rush was born a preacher’s son in Homer, Louisiana in 1940. He felt the call of the muse at an early age, and when his family moved to Chicago during the ‘50s, he began pursuing a career in music. While in Chicago, Rush played with a veritable “who’s who” of blues talent, including Freddie King, Earl Hooker and Luther Allison. Although Rush has recorded prolifically throughout his career, it is his electric live show that has earned him a reputation as a master showman. With a rich, deep voice capable of interpreting a wide range of musical material, Rush’s performances mix comedy, bawdy stage patter and songs.

Live At Ground Zero Blues Club offers up 13 songs and runs 74-minutes and includes classic Rush performances of tunes like “She’s So Fine,” “Crazy ‘Bout You” and his signature song, “Chicken Heads.” Originally recorded in 1971 and rapidly rising to the top of the charts, “Chicken Heads” is experiencing a renewed popularity and is featured on the soundtrack to the upcoming Craig Brewer film Black Snake Moan.

For 50 years, Bobby Rush has delighted audiences worldwide, touring constantly and appearing at blues festivals worldwide and on the “chitlin’ circuit” of US clubs and roadhouses. A Bobby Rush performance is something to be experienced firsthand; failing that, you can check out Live At Ground Zero Blues Club for a glimpse of the real thing.

(Click on the DVD cover to buy Bobby Rush at Amazon.com)