The Deal: ’70s band icon shows his sound still resonates down through the years.
The Good: This live ’07 Chicago show (two DVD’s and a CD) shows Miller at the top of his form, backed by a band in which the new guy, bassist Victor Wooten’s keyboard-playing brother Joseph, has only 14 years in the group. With his rock success, many have forgotten Miller started out as a blues player. Miller demonstrates he’s still a bluesman at heart with his cover of Otis Rush’s “All Your Lovin’.” Miller quickly reveals he’s no has-been. He still hits those impossibly high notes on “Rock N’ Me.” Lots of gray heads in the audience and a few on stage, but Miller has aged well, looking like a better-preserved version of Delbert McClinton. The guitarist gives his full attention to his hits – they’re fleshed out versions, not snatches of tunes many artists his age have incorporated into medleys to save their strength. But if you skip around looking for the hits, you’ll miss a great cover of ex-T Bird Jimmy Vaughan’s ’94 gritty blues rocker “Boom Bapa Boom.”
The Bad: Nothing to report. Shake off your prejudice against aging rockers, come on down front and enjoy yourself.
The Verdict: Anybody who dismisses Miller as a washed-up rocker needs to open their eyes and ears. His powerful music has not only survived, it’s flourished. He’s still a force to be reckoned with.
This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2008.
