Bobby Rush: All My Love for You Review

At 89 years young, bluesman Bobby Rush has delivered another groove-filled full-length album that will have fans rushing for the dance floor. The 10 tracks on All My Love for You, released on August 18 via Deep Rush Records/Thirty Tigers, are full of driving rhythms and memorable harmonica accents that make it clear Rush is back.

Rush has said this album isn’t just about romantic love but about the love he has for his fans, his fellow musicians and everyone who supports his craft. But the love one has for their partner is certainly a major theme. From the lust-filled “I Want To” to the frustration of a lost love moving on in “I Can’t Stand It,” All My Love for You explores the triumphs and pitfalls of romance, all with the swagger of the man credited with bringing funk to the blues.

Beyond love and romance, the two-time Grammy Award winner explores his own history in life and music on All My Love for You, most poignantly on album opener “I’m Free” and later on “I’m the One.” Rush opens the album by reflecting on how he has “come a long way but I’ve got a long way to go” before recalling the days he spent in his youth picking cotton: “I used to pick cotton in the cotton fields where I used to live / Don’t mind picking cotton if I own the cotton fields.” His lyrics go on to celebrate his journey: “I’m free, I’m free / I’m free, look at me / I got the shackles off my feet, chains off my mind.”

“I’m the One” focuses more on Rush’s legend, opening with the lyric: “My name is Bobby Rush / I want everybody to know / I was born to sing the blues / I sing the blues everywhere I go.” Rush goes on to document his early move to Chicago to pursue music in his teens, the instruction he took from blues legends Muddy Waters and B.B. King, and Rush’s ultimate triumph: “I’m the one who put the funk in the blues.”

All My Love for You offers listeners a balance between the raw energy brought on 2020’s Rawer Than Raw and 2016’s funk-infused Porcupine Meat, both of which snagged Rush’s two Grammys for Best Traditional Blues Album. Each song benefits from strong rhythms that accent Rush’s lyrics. Rush sings like he’s deeply engaged with the emotions of the moment, shifting from earnestness on “I’ll Do Anything for You” to exasperation on “Running in and Out.”

Rush’s expert use of harmonica throughout the album, from accenting lyrics on “Running in and Out” to soloing on “You’re Gonna Need a Man Like Me,” makes the album even more powerful, a reminder of Rush’s musical roots reflected in the modern era. All My Love for You is both a reflection on Rush’s career and a fun celebration of the music he’s devoted his life to creating. If nothing more, it’s likely to make listeners tap their feet along to the music and check out Rush’s upcoming tour dates to see when they’ll next be able to listen to him perform live.

The Review: 8/10

Can’t Miss Tracks

– I’m Free
– Running in and Out
– I’m the One
– You’re Gonna Need a Man Like Me

The Big Hit

– I’m the One

Buy the album: Amazon