I’ll admit it – I’m a YouTube junkie when it comes to keeping an eye on blues guitar greats – past and present.
This little gem was posted recently showing the Mike Flanigin Trio featuring the one and only Jimmy Vaughan on guitar at the Upstairs portion of the Continental Club in Austin Texas.
The song is “Hey Baby” – the massive one-hit produced by Bruce Channel who has been linked in history to Delbert McClinton (a name that is perhaps better known).
The Continental has a rich history opening in Austin in 1957 that includes stints as a popular burlesque club where girls like “Bubbles” and “Candy” graced the stage. How could this NOT evolve into a blues club right?
The 1970’s are where the magic happened with incredible blues guitar acts were booked including the Vaughan Brothers (Stevie Ray and Jimmie in their own bands through the 70’s into the 80’s as well as guys like WC Clark – going to catch him at Ottawa’s Bluesfest this year – The Cobras – with SRV and without – Joe Ely, Leroy Parnell, the Sexton Brothers (Charlie of Arc Angles fame and now a constant fixture in Dylan’s road bands).
Not bad right?
Thing is, you rarely see the big names giving back like this anymore. They all came out of the Texas blues or honkeytonk scene, this clip gives us a glimpse into what it must have been like back in the blues guitar heydey in Austin, not to mention the active club scenes in both Dallas and Houston.
Filed under Blog by on May 1st, 2013. Comment. 
I’ve been sifting through the finest of the fine from this year’s Eric Clapton’s Crossroads festival held a few weeks back in New York City this year.
One standout is this version of “I Just Got To Know” where Robert Cray shows us the passionate, raw blues guitar that I wish he would show more often. Don’t get me wrong, I like the fact that Robert straddles soul, rhythm and blues – I just wish he would up the quantity of what I think he does best – raw, low-down and dirty blues.
Watch this rendition of the Jimmy McCracklin song (made famous by Magic Sam) and you tell me would you like to hear more Robert Cray like this?
Just so we always remember there is a rich history from which these songs were written and, in this case, adapted with passion – here is the Magic Sam version. Isn’t it wild how close this is with Mr Cray’s rendition?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on May 2nd, 2013. Comment.
