Regal in his sharkskin suit, black hat, and bright red tie, Lefty Dizz struts lanky and elastic across the stage, knees high. With one hand he lifts his hot-red Stratocaster off his shoulder, clenching the guitar’s neck while hammering out grungy one-handed blues riffs, his free hand waving wildly as he dances like some zealot preacher at the height of a frenzied sermon. With the last note of each extravagant phrase he creases his brow and stares at the crowd, demanding reverence for his blues thunderclaps. Then quickly he’s pulled back into the storm, head tilted back, eyes closed and lips pursed, feet stomping.
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Lefty Dizz is 56 years old, and he’s been laying down variations on this routine for more than three decades. He is arguably the best blues performer in Chicago, and without question the number-one ham. He has a reputation for barging onto the stage during other people’s sets, grabbing the spotlight and not wanting to give it back. He can be a pain in the ass, but when it comes to crowd-pleasing he’s top dog, the funniest and the most fun.
Lefty sometimes hosts a Sunday-night blues jam at Buddy Guy’s Legends. He performs with his own band, Shock Treatment, near the beginning and end of the evening, but in between he’s the emcee, introducing other acts and circulating through the room visiting tables, telling jokes, and drinking shots.
After the set he is approached by two female fans. Bending slightly to align his face with theirs, he daintily touches his fingertips to either side of his face. The ladies respond by planting smooches.
