Took in the Paul Deslauriers Band from Montreal, Quebec last evening at the Calabogie blues festival.
This blues-influenced power trio was loud and rockin…from his Gibson Les Paul to the wonderfully sounding double-neck SG with the top being a 12-string model that I swear sounds just like Richie Sambora (guitarist with Bon Jovi).
Paul Deslauriers walked away with best guitarist at the Maple Blues Awards (Canada’s Blues Awards) this year and his rhythm section is ROCK solid – the drummer was incredible.
With a little refinement (tightening up a couple of their numbers and perhaps leaving the bottom 25% of their weakest stuff out of their show, they are teetering on something VERY special).
Definitely worth checking these guys out – have the feeling they will become much more visible through 2015.
Here’s a sampling of their show…
Here’s another sample of that double-necked SG – doesn’t the 12-string neck sound fine?
Filed under blues guitar, New Blues by on Aug 17th, 2014. Comment. 
All I can say is WOW!
All of us true blues lovers know that Soul and Blues come from the place…what I have to ask is imagine what a true collaboration of the Crowes with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi – could it be on par with Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on Derek & the Dominos?
Filed under blues guitar, soul music by on Jul 22nd, 2014. Comment.
If you are anywhere NEAR Chicago on July 30th then pick yourself up some Buddy Guy Birthday Bash tickets as Buddy Guy’s Legends Blues Club celebrates his birthday in style.
You can pickup tickets here…hopefully they’re not gone by the time you click on this…
I’ve been to BG’s Legends a couple of times, try and fit in a visit each time I make it to Chicago, great club and you will have a blast – guaranteed!
Buddy’s career as a Blues Guitar Player is as varied as the blues itself. Starting out in the shadow of Muddy Waters alongside Junior Wells – his ascent as a solo artist was challenged given that Buddy’s incredible, raw, live performances scared off record execs – so recording was a challenge.
With the resurgence of blues guitar in the 1980’s and 1990’s led by Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, true innovators, pioneers and raw talent of Buddy Guy along with Albert and Freddie King finally began to receive the attention they deserved decades before.
If you will be heading to Legends for Buddy’s birthday bash, leave a comment and let us know…we’ll live vicariously through you 🙂
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Jul 15th, 2014. Comment.
Funny post by Joe Bonamassa on Twitter today showing the crazy life a rock star (or in this case, guitar GOD) must live…reinforces the notion that you better as hell love what you do…
Clay and Eric did a little number crunching this morning for our entire tour from March through the end of this week. pic.twitter.com/utMmorDqTX
— JOE BONAMASSA (@JBONAMASSA) June 23, 2014
Filed under blues guitar, Joe Bonamassa by on Jun 26th, 2014. Comment.
What more could you want than the spot-on blues guitar playing of Jimmie Vaughan with the Joplin-like vocals of Susan Tedeschi belting a BB King tune (Let the good times roll) backed by the #1 blues backup band in the world – Double Trouble (Tommy Shannon and Chris Layton of Double Trouble – Stevie Ray Vaughan’s former band)
Listen for the incredible timing, soul and jump that this song holds from a line-up that respects the tradition of pure blues.
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Dec 27th, 2013. Comment.
I really like these “behind the scenes” views into the recording process musicians use on their songs.
This video shares such a view (albeit still officially produced) into the recording studio during a recording of the song “Stop” from Joe Bonamassa’s 2010 CD “John Henry”.
Notice a few things:
- How several overdubs of vocals and guitar solo is done
- How Joe switches guitars on the solo – starting with a very clean “Lucille” model Gibson into a much dirtier Les Paul for the latter half of the solo
- How Bonomassa even switches from sitting to standing on different parts of the vocal (honestly I don’t know how anyone can record sitting down)
Anything else you notice of note in the video?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends, Joe Bonamassa by on Dec 26th, 2013. Comment.
What do you guys think of this one?
Slowly getting my voice into shape and looking forward to putting out some more powerful blues guitar songs for you to listen to…
[mc id=”242″ type=”audio”]leave-me-do[/mc]
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith by on Jul 10th, 2013. Comment.
Absolutely love the key of B and nothing beats a slow blues in Bm – there’s something about it being peaceful and soothing at the same time as powerful and uplifting.
Here’s a track I cut this afternoon that I have called “Slow Burn Blues” because it sizzles along to this solid backing track.
[mc id=”239″ type=”audio”]slow-burn-in-bm[/mc]
Oh yes, stuck a couple of lines of voice in there too…off the top of my head, will have to sit down and put something meaningful together for the next rendition.
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith by on Jul 4th, 2013. Comment.
Nothing feels as natural to me as playing along with a blues shuffle, here’s some playing from earlier today…enjoy!
[mc id=”235″ type=”audio”]jeff’s-shuffle-A[/mc]
Always enjoy hearing your feedback, so leave me a comment.
Jeff
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith, texas blues by on Jul 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.
