In case you haven’t noticed…the evening television schedule is packed full of talent shows. American Idol, The Voice, America’s Got Talent and about a dozen more.
I know, many of them are hokey, silly and occasionally insulting to our symphonious opinions. But on the flip side of the foolishness lies the worldwide introduction to some amazing musical genius.
Case in point…tonight, on “America’s Got Talent”. About halfway through the evening this shy (introverted) guy named Ryan Andreas comes out to play the keyboard and sing his own version of Sarah McLaughlins “Angel”.
Ho-Hum…snooze… snore… dreamland, here I come. Well, so I thought. But once Ryan got going, once he forgot about the audience, once he dove into his zone…he blew everybody away.
Including GuitarDaddy.
You can watch that performance by CLICKING HERE. That video hooked me, and made me an instant fan of I guy I had never heard of just 10 minutes earlier.
Then I started thinking…how can a guy sing that good and not have more videos on YouTube – so off I went on my search to learn more about Mr. Andreas. And look what I found:
I’ve said this before…the best music to me is music that moves me. And that moved me.
It’s music that I don’t just hear, but music that I feel…and that particular version of Eric Clapton’s “Old Love” left me speechless.
In honor of Bob’s big day, I am re-publishing one of my favorite Dylan stories from a couple of years ago…
Take A Good Look At This Face…
If you were walking down the street and came face to face with Eric Clapton… would you know it was him? Ok.. what about Bob Dylan? If you said “yes”, you have a sharper awareness of historical rock icons than many police officers!
As the story goes… Bob was taking a walk in Long Branch, New Jersey — minding his own business. It was raining and he had a jacket with a hood on. He came upon a house that was “For Sale” and decided to take a look in the window.
Then things got a little interesting. Actually very interesting.
It turns out that a neighbor was watching through the window and called the police to report the suspicious looking man. The officers, both 24 years old, did not recognize the then 68 year-old Dylan. Even after he told them his name was Bob Dylan, they still asked him to show some identification. Poor Bob did not have anything with him.
(TIME OUT: Ever been there??)
Luckily, he was traveling on tour and the tour bus was not far away. So the police accompanied him to the bus and Bob was able to prove who he was — avoiding an unpleasant overnight in the slammer.
I suppose at that moment Bob was humming one of his favorite songs titled: “Like a Rolling Stone”. Remember the lyrics?
…How does it feel? To be on your own? To be without a home? Like a complete unknown? Like a Rolling Stone…
I am becoming a huge fan of Jimmy Fallon – especially after this amazing impersonation of Bob Dylan. Ladies and Gentlemen…. here is Bob Dylan singing the “Charles in Charge” theme song:
It’s been 3-1/2 months since the tragic loss of Gary Moore.
Most of the guitar magazines have written their tribute articles and many artists have added songs to their set lists to honor the late legend.
Here is one of the best you will ever hear honoring one of the best there ever was:
I haven’t said much about the death of Gary Moore. It still is very surreal This my best tribute so far. I can’t hold a candle but enjoy. -Joe Bonamassa via Twitter, May 20, 2011.
(Video Linked to Tweet…)
I’ll admit, I’m a fan of American Idol. And this video shows exactly why.
Haley Reinhart was voted off this week (don’t get me started). She made it to the final 3 and was my personal favorite to win it all.
What made this weeks performance especially AMAZING was that Haley chose to cover Led Zeppelin’s “What Is And What Should Never Be”. This was not an average karaoke performance, it was stunning and spectacular. Her vocals are every bit as strong as today’s chart-topping artists.
But even with that…. THE BEST PART of this performance was that her father was able to grab his Les Paul and accompany her on stage playing the lead riffs.
As a father, I don’t think I could have made it through the song without the emotions of the moment overwhelming me. Hat’s off to Haley’s Dad for pulling this one off!
LOST RORY GALLAGHER STUDIO ALBUM FROM 1978 TO FINALLY BE RELEASED!
~Two-Disc Set, Notes From San Francisco, To Land May 17 Via Eagle Rock Entertainment ~
~Lavish Package Includes Never-Before-Released 1979 Concert!~
The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was once asked what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world, to which he replied, “I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher!”
Rory Gallagher - Notes From San Francisco
Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) is simply one of the all-time guitar greats. Slash, The Edge, Brian May, Johnny Marr, Janick Gers, Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Tipton and Vivian Campbell have all said it. Since practically inventing the Power Trio format in Taste (both Cream and Taste debuted in 1966), Gallagher’s music has stood the test of time and he’s as popular now as he ever was, his influence gargantuan.
The story of Rory’s lost San Francisco album actually starts in Japan. In November 1977, after a grueling six-month world tour, the band flew straight from their last show in Japan to San Francisco to begin working on a new album with famed American producer Elliot Mazer (who worked on Neil Young’s Harvest, Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills and The Band’s The Last Waltz). Mazer recalls the sessions grew “tense,” as Gallagher thought the mixing process “too complicated.” By the end of January 1978, he had shelved the whole record and broke up his band of the past five years.
Fast forward to 2011 when Rory’s brother/manager Donal allowed his son Daniel to recover the album from the Gallagher archive and begin the process of mixing it with his engineer. Rory said in 1992 he hoped the album would surface one day but only if it were remixed. Bingo. Hearing this historic never-before-issued studio album from a key period of Gallagher’s career (the album that would have been released between Calling Card and Photo Finish) is the Holy Grail for Rory’s fans.
CD #2 is another fabulous discovery: a blistering live album taken from four December nights in 1979 at San Francisco’s The Old Waldorf. In the audience Van Morrison, on stage Rory Gallagher (guitar/vocals), Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums). Daniel Gallagher chose to add the live side to highlight why Rory chose to shelve the studio album and reduce his band back down to a three-piece. Rory, after seeing The Sex Pistols at Winterland during final mixes for his own album, was struck by the stark drama and blunt primitivism of pure punk. “It was as close to Eddie Cochran as you’re going to get,” he enthused. He had been saying that he wanted to get back to what he called “meat’n’potato rock’n’roll,” a stripped-back primal raw immediacy hearkening back to his Taste days.
A street has been named after him in Paris; a corner in Dublin; a statue in his Ballyshannon birthplace, where The International Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival is held. There’s a Rory Gallagher Place and Rory Gallagher Music Library in Cork. Annual tributes are held in Germany and Japan. The man has sold in excess of 20 million albums. Notes From San Francisco [MSRP $17.98] will be a worthy addition to his canon.
Track Listing:
CD1
1. Rue The Day
2. Persuasion
3. B Girl
4. Mississippi Sheiks
5. Wheels Within Wheels
6. Overnight Bag
7. Cruise On Out
8. Brute Force & Ignorance
9. Fuel To The Fire
BONUS TRACKS
10. Wheels Within Wheels (Alt version)
11. Cut A Dash
12. Out On The Tiles
CD2
1. Follow Me
2. Shinkicker
3. Off The Handle
4. Bought And Sold
5. I’m Leavin’
6. Tattoo’d Lady
7. Do You Read Me
8. Country Mile
9. Calling Card
10. Shadow Play
11. Bullfrog Blues
12. Sea Cruise
Check out Joe warming up before a show- and chatting a little bit as well!
As Joe Bonamassa grows his reputation as one of the world’s greatest guitar players, he is also evolving into a charismatic blues-rock star and singer‐songwriter of stylistic depth and emotional resonance. His ability to connect with live concert audiences is transformational.
As the story goes… Bob was taking a walk in Long Branch, New Jersey — minding his own business. It was raining and he had a jacket with a hood on. He came upon a house that was “For Sale” and decided to take a look in the window.
