Dave Specter – SPACE, Evanston, June 24, 2025

Review & Photos: Jim Summaria

Dave Specter album release party

at SPACE June 24, 2025

Review & Photos: By Jim Summaria

Bluesman Dave Specter recently released his excellent Live at SPACE album on Delmark Records. He wrote several of the songs, played guitar, sang and produced the album. On June 24th he held an album release party and performance at the club he co-owns, SPACE in Evanston. He was backed by the same terrific band in concert and on the album.

Dave is a native of Chicago and began his musical journey at the age of eighteen when he began guitar lessons. He immersed himself in the blues of T-Bone Walker, Magic Sam and Otis Rush. He picked up his jazz inspiration from Kenny Burrell. He learned his trade by being a sideman for Son Seals among others and started his own band, the Bluebirds, by the late 1980s.

He has shared a stage or recorded with a who’s who of blues artists like Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Jorma Kaukonen. He has played to audiences that have included the president of the USA, the governor of Illinois and the mayor of Chicago. He has recorded fourteen albums on Delmark Records. In 2018, he was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame. And as a side note, he's an outstanding photographer.

Brother John Kattke

 The band he put together for the album and show included Brother John Kattke on keyboards and vocals, Rodrigo Mantovani on bass and Marty Binder on drums. Brother John, is a triple threat on vocals, keys and guitar, and is a resident musician who has been hosting the jam night at Buddy Guy's Legends since the 1990s. He's also a fine vocalist with a pure blues voice. He has played with Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Otis Rush, Steve Miller and the list goes on.

Brazilian born and bred Rodrigo Mantovani is one of the most sought-after blues bassists in the states. The self-taught musician now lives in Chicago and plays often with the Nick Moss Band.

Marty Binder has been an in-demand drummer for the last thirty years. He has played with Albert Collins, Junior Wells and Buddy Guy. Binder also plays guitar and vibraphone. Together with Dave, they formed a very tight and superb group.

Many of the songs Dave and the guys played were off his new album. They also snuck in a couple of blues/jazz/rock gems. The sold-out crowd was greeted by the Latin styled instrumental "Rumba & Tonic" for the first song of the night. Specter shined on guitar and Brother John added a slick New Orleans piano solo.

The band went right into another instrumental, the bluesy and funky "Alley Walk." The driving groove set by Rodrigo and Marty was infectious and pushed Dave to a hot blues lead with a slight tease of Cream's version of "Spoonful." Brother John tickled the ivories with another tasty solo.

Marty Binder 

Dave took to the microphone, welcomed everyone, and proceeded to sing for the first time this evening. He chose the Al Perkins-Dave Clark song "Homework," a song recorded by Otis Rush, John Lee Hooker and the J. Geils Band, among others. Dave and the band put their own take on the tune that differed from the aforementioned renditions. Brother John swiveled his chair around from the piano and focused his attention on the organ and delivered a fine solo.

On the self-penned song "Blues From the Inside Out," Dave worked his guitar into a blues shuffle, that included a snarling vocal. Brother John again added the perfect accompaniment on keys. While "Blues From the Inside Out" is on the new live album, it was first recorded by Dave on his 2019 album of the same name that featured Brother John plus Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna guitar master Jorma Kaukonen.

Dave went back to his 2014 album Message in Blue and played slide. Brother John contributed superb piano on the self-penned instrumental "Jefferson Stomp."

For me, the song of the night -- and perhaps the audience’s as well -- was "March Through the Darkness." Brother John's heartfelt singing and interpretation of Dave's caring lyrics were inspiring. The appreciative crowd stood and applauded in unison at the conclusion of the song.

"Ponchatoula Way" reminded me of a song Robbie Robertson and the Band might have recorded. Brother John's vocal and piano solo was a style similar to Dr. John. Once again, Rodrigo and Marty kept their playing “in the pocket.”

The quartet reverted back to Dave's Blues From the Inside Out album for

the very funky instrumental "Sanctifunkious."  Dave pressed his

wah-wah pedal for a sweet lead. It triggered dancing in the aisles.

Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bluebird Blues" is a down and dirty blues song with everyone contributing to the song’s somber feel. All four instruments melded into one creating a feeling of despair deep in my chest. This song demonstrated the power of the blues.

The traditional "Deep Elem Blues" was first recorded by the Shelton Brothers in 1935. The song’s words are a nod to the African American Deep Ellum neighborhood in Dallas, Texas where Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Willie Johnson and Leadbelly lived. The band’s rendition did these blues legends proud. It was also famously covered by the Grateful Dead.

"Chicago Style" is another original blues shuffle that pays tribute to the city and many of the bluesmen who made Chicago home. It’s a fun song sung by Brother John with lyrics that remind people that Junior Wells, Howlin' Wolf, Magic Sam, Otis Clay, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Mighty Joe Young all lived at one time or another in Chicago.

The set closed with the haunting Allen Toussaint song "On Your Way Down" that had both Brother John and Dave singing together. Dave bestowed on the listeners a very heartfelt guitar break. A standing ovation brought the foursome back onto the stage and as they launched into the fast paced instrumental "Ridin' High." 

Dave gave one more hot solo and Brother John let loose once more on organ. Marty and Rodrigo drove the song forward to an exciting climax. It was an amazing night of music delivered by very talented musicians.

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 Jim Summaria began professionally photographing rock concerts in 1973 at the age of 19 when he became the staff photographer for the Chicago rock concert promoter Flip Side Productions. Jim's photos have been published in numerous books, magazines and CDs. His rock ‘n’ roll photos have been viewed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum and Hall of Fame on Rt.66 and the Grammy Awards. Jim and writer Mark Plotnick co-authored the books Classic Rock: Photographs From Yesterday & Today and the October 2024 release ‘70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts.  Jim and Mark also co-host the radio podcast That Rock Show on the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum platform.

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