Soul food: A No Bad Juju lunch break

BlueNotes finally got out of his cubbyhole today, and managed a lunchtime walkabout in a sunny and pleasant Dowtown.

Near the US Steel Building, I heard the sounds of some bluesy music bouncing off the walls, and a quick walk into the courtyard revealed the band No Bad Juju, with one of the best R&B singers in town, Sabrina DeMatteo.

Even though she's been singing around town for years, in bands and theatrical productions, I first heard her when No Bad Juju was formed as the house band at the former Chapel of Blues club in 2001.

I really liked Version 1 of the band, with three or four members trading off on vocals, and Sabrina with her huge Aretha-style pipes. They covered everything from Eric Clapton to Joe Cocker to Aretha, and I can remember nights at the Chapel when you could barely move, even if you were on the dance floor.

But I digress. Sabrina sounds a good as ever, even outdoors, even before the sun goes down. And the rest of the band is still crackling along nicely. And of course, having a camera along, I couldn't resist a photo.