The perfect combination of raw power, unmeasurable control, mutual respect and honed skill and a lifetime’s worth of playing live clubs around Texas came together after some assistance from John Hammond and Jackson Brown (who lent Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble his studio) to launch Texas Flood – their first album.
Single handedly SRV and Double Trouble became the 1980’s ambassador’s of the blues – putting an edgy, rock-based influence on the blues great that came before from Albert, Freddie and BB King to Buddy Guy, Lighting Hopkins, Hubert Sumlin and countless others. Stevie Ray took over where the English blues greats such as Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page had left off in the 60’s and 70’s but adding a Texas flare to his blues that was as infectious as it was dangerous.
This album captured the best of SRV and Double Trouble combining years of live “rehearsals” while keeping the freshness of never playing a song the same way twice.
Congratulations to Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (Double Trouble at that time), as well as the late great SRV who is forever in our hearts, minds, and imaginations.
SRV And Double Trouble’s ‘Texas Flood’ Inducted Into GRAMMY Hall Of Fame
Filed under Blog, blues guitar, stevie ray vaughan by on Dec 28th, 2020. Comment. 
As many of you guys know, Friday’s can be especially inspirational…here’s some noodling to a blues backing track in A, love to know what you think.
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith by on Nov 25th, 2019. Comment.
A great acoustic blues song written and performed in 1953 by Frankie Lee Sims was brought back to life a few years back by Buddy Guy in this incredible performance…
There’s no denying Buddy’s influence on electric blues but I personally find this finesse performance of a blues classic refreshing. It made me wonder why Guy doesn’t do more of these numbers these days (either live or similar classics on his albums).
In any case – here is a link to an audio version of Frankie Lee Sims original version…you hear the same signature guitar riff, but the tempo and the words are changed for the Guy version…
What’s your impression of Buddy’s playing on this one?
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends, buddy guy by on Sep 15th, 2019. Comment.
I can’t believe it was nearly 29-years ago that marks the untimely death of master blues guitarist (and great human being) Stevie Ray Vaughan’s death.
A few weeks ahead of that unsettling anniversary comes the official release of the long anticipated “Inside Story” – “Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan” which is now shipping and in the hands of a few of us who were quick on the trigger.
I have nearly everything published (and some unpublished) music, video and written word from Stevie and Jimmie Vaughan…so not a lot of this book was new for me, but there were some great nuggets. The sheer volume of people and sources interviewed (over 100) is astounding making it a MUST HAVE for any rock, blues or music junkie…and for a Stevie Ray, Jimmie Vaughan or Texas Blues fan…well I needn’t say anymore.
Get your copy hereGet your copy hereGet your copy here and enjoy the book.
Filed under stevie ray vaughan, texas blues by on Aug 17th, 2019. Comment.
Stevie Ray Vaughan was a massive influence on my early twenties, helped me take my own guitar playing to places I never thought possible and even taught me a number of life lessons along the way…this interview came to my attention recently that quickly became my favorite…both because of its lucidity (he was sober), honesty and frankness and useful information…about music and life.
Well worth the watch if you are an SRV fan, but even if you’re not, you’ll find value
Watch it and let me know what you think.
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends, stevie ray vaughan by on Jul 24th, 2019. Comment.
To me, this picture says it all about the value of integrity, hard-work and passion for music, self-confidence (that comes from staying true to yourself and your talent) and style…and answers the question why so many people LOVE the Vaughan Brothers – Jimmie and Stevie Ray…
Between them, I’ve seen Jimmie and Stevie Ray more than a dozen times – I’ll always remember the first time I saw each of them.
Sure, part of that is the incredible talent and tone, part of it is the fact that I was SO into the blues at that time it was like my neurons were going to shoot right through my frontal cortex hearing the first note as the crunching of the Texas Shuffle or Chicago Blues tune chugged along.
But there was something else…
It was the deadly combination of self-assurance and talent from decades of playing and competing in music-rich Dallas and Austin Texas, the integrity and honesty of having stuck to their guns even though the music industry tried multiple times to throw them off course and that style…
Tell me if you don’t see all of that wrapped up in these pictures.
Now, close your eyes and imagine what a dramatic entrance with 100 Watts or more of power surging out of perfectly setup Fender amps fed by the raw power and smooth tone of the single coils fueling the Fender Stratocasters piloted by the Vaughan Brothers…you are (or would be if you have never caught either of them in concert…sadly it is too late for Stevie Ray though you can still get a sense through the multitude of videos available online…but luckily you can see the very busy and relevant Jimmie who is hotter than Texas Ashphalt in July these days)
I can still see the day nearly 35-years ago when Stevie Ray brought his Double Trouble Couldn’t Stand the Weather Tour to Ottawa’s National Arts Center to lay a beating on it like it had never seen before…Aug 16th, 1984 – what a night…my sense of life and music were changed forever moments after he entered a black stage playing the first few bars of “Scuttle Buttin…” and THEN…
The house lights came up and from the 3rd row this giant of a figure wearing a poncho with his trademark black zorro hat with Texas emblem loud and proud – my mind was blown. The rest of the evening was an orgy of power, finesse, tone, honesty and GREAT music from the entire band.
Never again would I be THAT blown away and still search out that perfect combination of talent, confidence, integrity/honesty and style – it comes along once in a lifetime (something like the impact of seeing Hendrix live I would imagine…a chance I never had unfortunately) – and now Jimmie carries the torch in his own HONEST and integral way…I still get the feeling when I see him as I did in San Francisco last year.
It’s a rare thing…if you can remember a similar experience when you saw your favorite artist live, share it here and maybe we can all catch the wave one more time.
Filed under blues guitar, stevie ray vaughan, texas blues by on Jul 23rd, 2019. Comment.
If you you are a fan of blues music, stevie ray vuaghan, jimmie vaughan, texas blues or pretty much a music fan of ANY kind…you are going to enjoy this new release from Reese Wynans that stays true to its name – Sweet Release!
Reese spent the last 5-years tickling the ivories and hammering the Hammond B3 with Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band Double Trouble…since then he’s been supporting (with great style and feeling I might add) everyone from Kenny Wayne Shepherd to guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamasa with MANY stops along the way. Suffice it to say, Reese has earned his rightful spot as one of the legends supporting roots and blues music these days.
Sweet Release includes about half of the songs an ode to the Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble days (with guests on the releases including Double Trouble themselves – Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon as well as some help from the GREAT Sam Moore on Crossfire (below) and half roots songs that just make you feel GOOD! Kenny Wayne Shepherd includes some amazing guitar work as well.
I couldn’t find a song I didn’t like…a rarity these days. Pick up a copy or stream it on your favorite platform – you won’t be sorry.
In the meantime, here’s the title track and video release – a remake of the SRV Crossfire with the great Sam Moore filling in nicely on vocals (Stevie would have been PROUD!)
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends, stevie ray vaughan by on Jun 19th, 2019. Comment.
Love the sound of a Fender Stratocaster through Fender Deluxe Reissue, and oh that Am groove…
Filed under blues guitar, Jeff Smith by on Feb 13th, 2019. Comment.
More than ever we need to be reminded what BLUES is really like.
As we continue to lose the legends, Albert King, BB King, Stevie Ray, Albert Collins…it seems more amazing than ever when you go back and discover the true great blues guitar legends and how in-tune they were to the feeling in a song.
Today’s generation of lip-synch, electronically created music, at its best, takes creativity – we have to give kudos for that…but not for a minute does anyone believe there is the degree of feeling, emotion and GUTS in just 60-seconds of a song like this one from Albert King.
Filed under blues guitar, Blues Legends by on Sep 11th, 2016. Comment.
80-years ago today the legendary Buddy Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana but came to rule the early blues explosion of Chicago – a powerful blues guitar great who influenced the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Stevie Ray Vaughan – he was truly the bridge from the early Southern Blues into modern Chicago blues and all points in between.
In his early twenties Guy moved to Chicago and was fascinated with Muddy Waters. He soon linked up with Junior Wells where they collaborated on early blues work. As his sound evolved, Guy found himself as a critical bridge between traditional blues and rock & roll – electric with a showmanship that appealed to rock stars from Led Zepplin to Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones
As many early blues musicians, financial reward and anything approach mainstream success eluded them.
In the blues revival years of 1980 both Stevie Ray Vuaghan and Eric Clapton championed the skill and influence Guy had on their careers revitalizing a career that had largely gone unnoticed.
With Buddy Guy’s Legends blues club in Chicago and a solid legacy of critically acclaimed blues music, Buddy now is one of the elder statesman of the blues. Since the death of blues legend BB King, guy has come under new focus as one of the last remaining links between the old blues and the newer blues artists including Gary Clark Jr and Kenny Wayne Shephard.
Here is a terrific performance at Red Rocks – watch as guy dominates the stage with his guitar, his voice and his personality. It is this domination that rock musicians took on their climb to rock and roll hall of fame…
Filed under Blues Legends, buddy guy, rock and roll by on Jul 31st, 2016. Comment.
