DOWNHOME BLUES

Lonnie Brooks may live on the South Side of Chicago, but his musical interests stretch clear to the Gulf of Mexico judging by the bluesman’s show Friday at the Music Machine. Brooks and his four-piece band churned through a mix that recalled Memphis’ Booker T and the MGs and New Orleans’ Meters as much as any classic Windy City influence, thanks largely to Tom Giblin’s keyboards and Osee Anderson’s dexterous guitar playing.

Brooks is an able singer with a style that echoes B.B. King, but the veteran of nearly 30 years on the road was most effective as an instrumentalist. Synthesizing various styles, Brooks’ guitar work was playful and powerful--though never gratuitously showy. The Southern California Blues Society presentation, which also featured local blues-belter royale Barbara Morrison, was a warm, casual affair with the two main artists meeting with the audience before the show for an informal question-and-answer session.