Rok, if there were only two people I would want to say that I saw live, they would be Lou Rawls, and Nancy Wilson. When I saw them on DVD they projected as live, and Lou Rawls was close to live on records when he sang about the Chicago South Side. He brought a fantastic place to life, that is no more.
"South Side Soul" is a record Alex brought to my attention of this fantastic place that is projected in the music of John Wright. They even honor John Wright to this day in Chicago for capturing the soul of "The South Side", and putting it on a record. Lou Rawls put "South Side Soul" on records in the form of his words and song. It was one of those places that is left to live in the memories of the people who experienced the magic of "South Side Soul", and nowhere else. This was the "hippest" coolest place I've ever been in my life, unfortunately I was in my middle teens and could only read signs like "Miles Davis appearing nightly"; and this was at a small club that I passed on my daily walks.
Chicago nights were cool at that time, and I liked to borrow one of my cousins best sport coats, or sweaters and stroll Cottage Grove between 65th and 63rd street where the El Train ran. It was just as brightly lit at night as it was in the day, and you might even get a glimpse of "Dinah Washington" going to the Pershing Lounge; she both entertained there, and went there to be entertained; that's where Ahmed Jamal made his famous record, and he was also the "House Band". I think Dinah Washington lived in the neighborhood back then.
When I went back to Chicago as an adult, the place had changed so much I hardly recognized it. We, all the people who rode on that magic carpet, still have the music of Lou Rawls, and John Wright.
Enjoy the music.