Blues Brothers
High-octane soul and blues delivered with a wink. Tight horn sections, gritty harmonica, and a rhythm section that never misses a beat. Perfect for the open road.
High-octane soul and blues delivered with a wink. Tight horn sections, gritty harmonica, and a rhythm section that never misses a beat. Perfect for the open road.
This is the sound of a high-speed chase through the history of American soul and R&B. It is loud, brassy, and unapologetically fun, anchored by a legendary rhythm section that provides a rock-solid foundation for gritty harmonica solos and gravelly vocals. The music feels like a sweaty, packed club where the band is playing for their lives and the audience is right there with them.
What makes this project unique is the tension between the comedic personas and the absolute seriousness of the musicianship. While the frontmen lean into the 'mission from God' theatricality, the band features some of the most respected session players in history. This results in a sound that is technically flawless but carries a raw, live energy that most studio-bound blues acts of the era lacked.
Start with 'Briefcase Full of Blues' to hear the band at their most electric. It captures the lightning-in-a-bottle moment where a television sketch became a legitimate musical powerhouse. From the opening harmonica wail of 'I Can't Turn You Loose' to the frantic energy of 'Soul Man,' it is an essential document of the late-70s blues revival.
The Blues Brothers (known formally as "The Fabulous Blues Brothers Show Band and Revue") are an American blues and soul revue band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who met and began collaborating as original cast members of Saturday Night Live. The Blues Brothers Musical Revue consisted of lead vocalist "Joliet" Jake Blues (Belushi) and his brother, Elwood (Aykroyd), who played a harmonica that he carried onstage in a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. The duo were usually dressed in matching black suits, black pencil ties, black trilby hats and sunglasses. The band itself was carefully constructed, and made up of experienced musicians of the time, including Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, "Blue" Lou Marini, Tom "Bones" Malone, and Alan "Mr. Fabulous" Rubin. The act debuted as musical guest on the April 22, 1978, episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by comedian Steve Martin. After recruiting a full band, the group opened for Martin during a residency at the Universal Amphitheatre in September 1978. Recordings from that performance were released on November 28 as a live album, Briefcase Full of Blues. The album rose to the top of the charts and was a platinum seller. Several subsequent albums followed. The act opened for the Grateful Dead at the closing of Winterland Arena in San Francisco, and gained further fame after spawning the comedy film The Blues Brothers in 1980. They remain the most successful blues revue act ever. Belushi died in 1982, but the Blues Brothers continued to perform with a rotation of guest singers and other band members. The band re-formed in 1988 for a world tour and again in 1998 for the sequel film Blues Brothers 2000.
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