Description
Eddie C Campbell – Hopes And Dreams – Compact Disc
Eddie C. Campbell’s album Hopes and Dreams is a fine example of his distinctive style within the Chicago blues scene. Known for his innovative approach to blues guitar and his laid-back vocal style, Campbell infused this album with both traditional blues elements and more experimental, funky undertones.
Happily, Eddie C. Campbell returned to Chicago after spending a decade entrenched in Europe. His shimmering West Side-styled guitar playing and unusually introspective songwriting have been a breath of fresh air on the Windy City circuit, reuniting the veteran bluesman with fans he left behind in 1984.
Hopes and Dreams showcases Campbell’s skillful guitar playing, characterized by its fluidity and expressive, slightly psychedelic touch. The album covers a range of emotions and stories, from upbeat tracks that make you want to get up and dance to more introspective tunes that delve into personal struggles and aspirations.
Campbell’s work often reflects his deep roots in the blues tradition while also embracing a modern sensibility. This album is no exception; it’s enriched with soulful harmonica contributions, steady bass lines, and rhythmic drum beats that complement his guitar and vocal performance. Hopes and Dreams is a testament to Eddie C. Campbell’s creativity and enduring appeal as a blues musician, offering a compelling blend of classic and contemporary blues sounds.
Campbell left rural Mississippi for the bright lights of Chicago at age ten, sneaking a peek at Muddy Waters at the 1125 Club soon after he arrived and jamming with his idol when he was only 12. He fell in with some West Side young bloods Luther Allison, Magic Sam and honed a guitar attack rooted deep in the ringing style. Campbell paid his sideman dues on the bandstand with everyone from Howlin’ Wolf and Little Walter to Little Johnny Taylor and Jimmy Reed. Koko Taylor recommended Campbell to Willie Dixon, who hired him as a Chicago Blues All-Star in 1976.
Campbell cut his own debut album, the rousing King of the Jungle, in 1977 for the Steve Wisner’s short-lived Mr. Blues logo (now available on Rooster Blues, it includes the guitarist’s lighthearted Yuletide perennial “Santa’s Been Messin’ With the Kid”). But he split the country for calmer European climates, recording a nice 1984 album with a Dutch group, Let’s Pick It!, that first came out on Black Magic and now adorns the Evidence catalog.
When Eddie C. Campbell finally returned stateside for the birth of his son, he made up for lost time by gigging steadily around Chicago and making a comeback album for Blind Pig, That’s When I Know, that contained some very distinctive originals. Gonna Be Alright followed in 1999.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the original plastic seal
Rooster Records 2001
Track Listing
1. Did I Hurt You?
2. Hopes and Dreams
3. Geese in the Ninny Bow (Hey!)
4. You Worry Me
5. Cool Cool Mama
6. Slow & Easy
7. Those Was the Days
8. Spend
9. I’m Your Santa
10. Lost Soul
11. Cougar
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