Thursday Apr 4, 2013
4-4-2013
Sonny Landreth
“He is probably the most underestimated musician on the planet, and also probably one of the most advanced!” - Eric Clapton
Louisiana based Blues guitar wizard Sonny Landreth's slide playing is distinctive and unlike anything else you've ever heard. His unorthodox style where he simultaneously plays slide and fingers the fret board produces a sound that is often said to resemble many instruments playing at once. At the peak of a song he can lift you right up off your chair. His music encompasses Mississippi Delta blues, zydeco and Southern rock, but his work as sideman extraordinaire has made him outstanding in most genres. And though his name is not as commonly known as some of those he has collaborated with (Eric Clapton, Dr. John, John Hiatt, Jimmy Buffett, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Mark Knopfler), guitar enthusiasts and serious Blues fans make sure to clear their calendar when he comes to town.
It's not only by his playing that Landreth has made his mark - he is also a songwriter who fuses his music with potent storytelling, drawing from the rich heritage of southern Louisiana culture. For lyrical content he claims Robert Johnson and William Faulkner as major influences.
If you're playing his brand new CD, "Elemental Journey", while driving in your car, please buckle up and watch your speed. You may find yourself violating a few local speed codes before you know what happened. Elemental Journey will take you places you may not be prepared to go, but that's not to say that you won't be thrilled by the trip. If you haven't heard the new album yet, please go out and buy it; this is an album of a lifetime.
But in the end, Sonny Landreth, the tireless 61-year-old slide guitar master and storyteller just plain loves touring and performing as he told the audience, “As long as you keep coming out, we’ll keep coming back no matter what time of year.”
"Sonny Landreth is the supreme slidemaster" - Guitar Player Magazine
Listen to an audio clip of the new album HERE
There are many video clips of Sonny online, THIS is a good one.
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