Celebrating the Blues

Alligator Records, out of Chicago, is the numero uno blues label in the country. The company’s 20th anniversary tour will be a house-rockin’ affair tonight at the venerable Ventura Theatre as four of its top acts perform:

Koko Taylor is known as the Queen of the Blues. The late Willie Dixon discovered her in the early ‘60s in Chicago and signed her to Chess Records. Her biggie was a 1966 recording of Dixon’s “Wang Dang Doodle,” which sold 1 million-plus copies. Since then, Taylor has won 11 W. C. Handy awards, the blues equivalent of the Grammys. She’s a grandmother in her mid-60s but you won’t find Taylor at home acting the least bit retired. She does more than 200 gigs per year and has six Alligator albums.

Elvin Bishop was a founding member of the legendary Paul Butterfield Blues Band, which helped to popularize Chicago blues to white rock fans. A noted guitarist once considered up there with Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Bishop has been in a zillion bands since leaving Butterfield in the late ‘60s. He has recorded a pair of rootsy and bluesy records for Alligator since 1988.

Lonnie Brooks has been making records since the late ‘50s. He’s played with the likes of Clifton Chenier and Sam Cooke and refers to his music as “bayou blues with a rock ‘n’ roll chaser.” Brooks has 10 solo albums, including six with Alligator recorded since 1979.

Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials are “the world’s No. 1 house-rocking blues band,” according to the Boston Globe. This is a lot better than working in a carwash, where Ed Williams was a senior buffer as recently as 1986. The band did one song for an Alligator anthology album and was signed on the spot. Now the group has three albums and does more than 250 gigs a year.

The 8 p.m. show will set you back $18.50. Call 646-1888.