Live at Jazz Standard

A fair number of hotshot blues guitarists can lay down licks with presence and panache, but that number shrinks drastically when you tally the ones who are also sharp-shooting singer/songwriters. That's what makes Chris Bergson an unusual triple threat, and this live recording shines a spotlight on the strength of his material, as well as the alternately simmering and fiery feel that he and his band serve up in a club setting. New York City native Bergson is a bluesman of a distinctly urban stripe. Instead of swamps and rivers, his songs—many penned in collaboration with lyricist Kate Ross—are full of citified imagery, from the midtown Manhattan locale of "61st & 1st" to the Brooklyn scenes of "Gowanus Heights." The three-man horn section accentuates the soul leanings of tunes like "The Only One" and brings out the R&B shadings in Bergson's gritty growl. At times, the blend of Bergson's earthy vocals and terse, biting guitar with Craig Dreyer's organ evokes The Band. Yet whether the guitarist and his group are venturing into R&B, roots rock, or straight blues, they create an invitingly organic feel on a recording that clearly captures the band in their element.