Dave Specter was born in Chicago and is what you call a late bloomer. He was already eighteen years old when he first touched a guitar. He proved to be a very talented guy and after a short while he accompanied big names such as Johnny Littlejohn, Son Seals, Ronnie Earl, Buddy Guy, Pinetop Perkins, Lonnie Brooks… just to name a few. He founded his own band “the Bluebirds” and made a reputation in the international blues scene. In other words, this guy knows what he’s doing! Delmark Records gave him a home with his first album “Bluebird Blues” (1991) and he stayed loyal to them ever since. Same for the latest fruit of his talents “Live in Chicago”, that is available on CD and DVD. For those that like more than just blues, Dave is your guy. Because next to blues he also plays soul, funk and quite a few jazzy like songs. On the live recording he proves his versatility beyond doubt. Down to earth, stylish and in a very dynamic way he lets us enjoy songs like ‘Boss Funk/Riverside Ride’, the Texas blues song ‘Texas Top’ and ‘The Hollywood Park Shuffle’. Eight of the thirteen songs were recorded at Buddy Guy’s Legends blues club, the others at Roasa’s Blues Lounge (At least on this DVD). At venues like that it is not unusual to have some guest appearances. Dave was no exception. For example harp player Tad Robinson plays a beautiful version of ‘What’s Your Angle?’ and funky guitar player Jimmy Johnson amazes with a.o. ‘Feel So Bad’. Sharon Lewis steals the show with the religious ‘Angel’, that swiped me off my feet. Masterful are also the contributions of keyboard player Brother John Kattke, lifting a lot of songs to a higher level. Of course the DVD has the obligatory “special features”, like some explanations by Dave, a photo gallery and a discography. This is as they say “A must have!”

Translation by: Jean-Paul Harreman