Dave Specter

Recognized as an elite guitarist in blues and jazz circles, as well as a bandleader, composer, and inductee into Chicago's Blues Hall of Fame, Dave Specter delivers thoughtful and precise performances shaped by influences from T-Bone Walker, Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Kenny Burrell, blending urban blues with gritty soul and funky, jazzy R&B. A tireless performer who logs roughly 200 shows annually, he has cultivated loyal audiences throughout Europe, North and South America, and Asia. After serving as a sideman alongside Son Seals and Hubert Sumlin, he formed his own groups beginning in 1989. His initial release as a leader arrived with 1991's Bluebird Blues on Delmark. The widely praised Blues Spoken Here, issued in 1998, paired him with vocalist Lenny Lynn. Speculatin' in 2000 presented an entirely instrumental collection of original material alongside interpretations of works by Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Earland, and the Meters. A decade afterward came the instrumental Spectified on Fret12 Records, which incorporated a complete brass section. Message in Blue, released to international acclaim in 2014, alternated lead vocalists Brother John Kattke and Otis Clay. Blues from the Inside Out in 2019 marked the first occasion on which the guitarist contributed lead vocals, appearing on three selections. That same year he launched a podcast sharing the album's title, consisting of dialogues with blues musicians. Six String Soul, a double-disc overview of his thirty-year association with Delmark, appeared in 2021.

Specter entered the world on Chicago's northwest side in 1963 and first took up the guitar at age 18. Exhibiting an innate feel for the instrument, he cultivated his R&B-saturated approach through attentive listening to and replication of recordings by his key influences. His formidable technique together with his relaxed, congenial personality secured sideman opportunities with slide blues master John Littlejohn, Son Seals, and the Legendary Blues Band before he assembled his own ensemble, the Bluebirds, in 1989. Under contract with Delmark Records he issued his debut album, Bluebird Blues, on the label in 1991, with vocals supplied by Barkin' Bill Smith, as Specter did not sing at the time; this was followed by Blueplicity in 1994, again featuring vocals from harmonica player Tad Robinson, and Live in Europe in 1995, once more spotlighting Robinson on vocals. Lynwood Slim provided vocals for 1996's Left Turn on Blue, which included legendary jazz Hammond B-3 organist Brother Jack McDuff, while Lenny Lynn took the vocal role on 1998's Blues Spoken Here. In that same year Specter and the Bluebirds functioned as Lurrie Bell's backing unit for the album Kiss of Sweet Blues. Throughout the 1990s Dave Specter & the Bluebirds traversed North America and beyond, appearing at festivals in the Netherlands, Ireland, Argentina, Japan, the United States, and Canada.

Speculatin' in 2000 found Specter forgoing vocals altogether. Comprising thirteen instrumental pieces, the album contained seven originals plus notable renditions of Dizzy Gillespie's "Birks Works," the Meters' "Look a Py-Py," and Charles Earland's "The Mighty Burner," among additional tracks. Whether or not he sang, Specter's lucid and inventive guitar work earned admiration throughout the blues world even as his direction expanded further into jazz. In 2002 he appeared as a guest on blues singer/songwriter Steve Freund's I'll Be Your Mule. The collaboration led to an extended tour and the fully joint 2004 release Is What Is, which balanced original compositions with covers of material by Otis Rush, George Harrison, Peter Green, Curtis Mayfield, and Otis Spann. The album and DVD Live in Chicago, which presented guests Jimmy Johnson, Tad Robinson, and Sharon Lewis, surfaced in 2008.

Specter returned to instrumental recording with 2010's Spectified on the independent Fret12 label. By augmenting his ensemble with a horn section and two organists, he broadened his range to encompass soul-gospel and intricate jazz-funk within his stylistic range. The recording also featured strong interpretations of Freddie King's "Wash Out" and Ma Rainey's "See See Rider." The album received extensive critical praise across Europe and Asia. He carried the project and an expanded band onto the road for the majority of the ensuing three years. Following several years of touring he resumed recording with 2014's Message in Blue for Delmark. The set presented vocalists Otis Clay, Brother John Kattke, and Bob Corritore within a combination of guest vocal selections and instrumentals executed in his signature swinging guitar manner. After extensive touring Specter took a well-earned respite while continuing to perform club dates in Chicago. He resumed recording with 2019's Blues from the Inside Out. Blending instrumentals and vocal selections, three tracks featured the guitarist delivering lead vocals for the first time. Special guest and Hot Tuna guitarist Jorma Kaukonen contributed to a pair of selections as well. Specter simultaneously initiated a podcast sharing the album title, hosting discussions with premier blues singers and instrumentalists that included Albert Lee, Shemekia Copeland, Billy Boy Arnold, Jimmie Vaughan, and numerous others.

Prevented from live performances by the COVID-19 pandemic, Specter continued hosting his podcast online and collaborated with Delmark on compiling a retrospective of his years with the label. In 2020 he witnessed the senseless murder of George Floyd on a street by a police officer, broadcast nationwide. Several days later, prompted by Civil Rights activist and Congressman John Lewis' statement "If it hadn’t been for music, the Civil Rights movement would've been like a bird without wings," he composed "The Ballad of George Floyd." He recorded the piece as a single and video with blues harp legend Billy Branch. The song was incorporated into the 2021 Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom exhibit at the Woody Guthrie Center, co-sponsored by the Grammy Museum. In October, after regrouping his band for touring, Specter issued the double-length retrospective Six String Soul: 30 years of Delmark Records, which placed "The Ballad of George Floyd" among its selections.