Blues Brothers hit mark for 8,660 in Spa crowd

by Steve Webb, The Knickerbocker News, July 5, 1980

Twice during the past week, songs by the country-soul singer Solomon Burke have been performed at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the first time Sunday by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes and the second time by the Blues Brothers Band Friday before a crowd of 8,660.

Although the Blues Brothers pose as a pair of Chicago bluesmen, the parody-tribute by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd extends to a variety of regional blues styles, spanning three decades and featuring musicians spread out among Memphis, New York City and Los Angeles.

Belushi and Aykroyd owe their most successful comedy, during the first four seasons of “Saturday Night Live,” more to attaining a certain authenticity in their parody than to individual punchlines. The Blues Brothers show was similar. Jake-Belushi draws on his old Joe Cocker sendup. Elwood-Aykroyd comes on city-cool amid occasional vocals. And the stellar band features former Stax-Volt regulars Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn; New York guitarist Matt Murphy, who has appeared in various bands in the Rensselaer Hulla Balloo Club; Paul Shaffer, from the “Saturday Night Live” band; and saxophonist Tom Scott.

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