Big Time Sarah
A Million of You (Delmark)
“Big Time” Sarah Streeter is one of those Chicago electric-blues fixtures who’s great at doing one thing — and while she does it extremely well, her CDs can’t escape the taint of formula. Removed from the strong visual nature of her performance — the aptly nicknamed Streeter shakes everything she has at local clubs — standards such as Elmore James’ “The Sky is Crying” and the traditional “Train I Ride” lope comfortably along but never spark into true inspiration. One exception is “Trying to Make a Living,” in which Streeter’s chatty vocal style explodes into a Koko Taylor growl. After 25 years of gigs at the Checkerboard Lounge, Wise Fools and B.L.U.E.S., Streeter sounds tired, more than pleased to let guitarists Rico McFarland and John Hill turn Earl Hooker’s “Blue Guitar” into an instrumental jam.