I have been a Ronnie Earl fan for a long, long time.

I had the opportunity to meet him personally and hang out backstage before a concert a few years ago. He is a gracious man who understands the value of giving to others.

Ronnie Earl at The Narrows

For those who do not know, Ronnie is now in his mid-50s and has been part of the blues music scene for many years.

Deeply inspired by Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker and Otis Rush, he started to play guitar in the 1970′s. He left the first major group he worked with in 1988, and moved on to build a solo career with his own band, The Broadcasters.

Along the way, he went on to tour the world with Santana, sometimes playing for audiences of as many as 40,000 people.

Recent years, however, found his career sidelined by a variety of health problems, which are thankfully, today, under control. When he says he’s feeling fine, he is, thanks, but the idea of touring again is as far from his mind as it can be.

“I did that for more than 25 years,” he says, “and nothing is better than one’s own home and one’s own family and friends. It makes me feel grounded. I have a wonderful wife, I’m close to our church, I live in the country and I want to be in my own home, every day.”

These days Ronnie is healthy, happily married and playing with the Broadcasters in the New England area and if you are fortunate to live in that area you still have a chance to see one of the finest blues guitar players — ever.

Visit Ronnie’s web site and follow his tour schedule by CLICKING HERE.

The video below was posted a few days ago on YouTube (thank you ZigBlues) from a concert Ronnie played last month at The Narrows in Fall River, MA.

On that night, Ronnie invited 16 year old guitarist Julie Melucci to join him on stage for a blues jam she will never forget!

My favorite part of the video comes at 5:30 when Ronnie motions that he is going to step back and let Julie showcase her chops!

By the way, a new recording from the Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters titled: “Spread the Love” is set to be released on August 24th, 2010 by Stoney Plains Records. Stay tuned to TheGuitarBuzz.com for more details and a full review as soon as the CD becomes available.

Lee Ritenour's 6-String Theory CD

This is an UPDATE of a previous post…

The long awaited CD from Lee Ritenour titled “6-String Theory” has been released and is now available on iTunes and Amazon.com to download.

“Six String Theory” pushes the limits of the guitar by combining superstar guitarists from the worlds of rock, blues, country, jazz/fusion, acoustic, and classical/flamenco genres — all into one massive effort.

I have written in the past that I love (almost) every style of guitar music and what I love about this CD is that it crosses the boundaries of many different genres to provide a refreshing mix of 6-String styles.

By assembling the talents of Lee Ritenour, B.B. King, George Benson, John Scofield, Steve Lukather, Vince Gill, Slash, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Neal Schon, Robert Cray, Keb Mo, Taj Majal, Jonny Lang, Joe Bonamasa, Andy Mckee, Guthrie Govan, Joe Robinson, Tomoyasu Hotei and Shon Boublil (Winner of Yamaha Six String Theory Competition), the album appears destined to be a huge success.

I’m excited to announce that the “Six String Theory” project is finally done! We’ve finished up mastering and are excited to share the music with everyone. We’ve assembled an incredible roster of guest guitarists on the album in many different genres from up and coming Shon Boublil at 16 years old playing classical guitar to blues guitar icon BB King at age 84. This was an amazing album for me to produce and perform on… - From Lee Ritenour’s web site

Watch the Video:

The 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival is in the history books.  Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, ZZ Top, Sonny Landreth… and that was only the beginning. What a day of music it was.

Check out this excerpt from Chicago Tribune concert review:

Blues uncut, high on musicianship and low on theater, was the order of the day. Though Clapton’s hand-picked lineup included nods to jazz (Earl Klugh), country (Vince Gill) and folk (Bert Jansch, Stefan Grossman), it skewed heavily toward the blues tradition that gave his young life purpose. The performers tailored their sets accordingly. ZZ Top ignored its biggest MTV-era hits in favor of grunge-encrusted boogie, with Billy Gibbons adding a couple shovels full of gravel to his insinuating baritone mumble. John Mayer abandoned his pop-idol persona to jam with drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino; indeed, a drummer as mighty as Jordan probably wouldn’t have tolerated “Your Body is a Wonderland,” so Mayer dug into Jimi Hendrix’s “Wait Until Tomorrow” and did a respectable job.
-Chicago Tribune Concert Review

Rich Murray from The Guitar Channel blog has posted a fantastic PHOTO GALLERY of shots taken from the event. CLICK HERE to view these photos and experience the event.

Videos are also starting to pop up on YouTube.  Here is one of the first jams to include Joe Bonamassa and Robert Randolph:

I’d bet my Les Paul that the DVD will be out soon!

Crossroads Guitar Festival

How I wish I was on my way to Chicago…..

Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival takes place tomorrow, Saturday, June 26th at the Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. The Crossroads Guitar Festival is a music festival and benefit concert first held in 2004 and again in 2007.

The festivals benefit the Crossroads Centre founded by Eric Clapton, a drug treatment center located in Antigua. The concerts are also intended to be a showcase for a variety of guitarists, all of whom are hand-picked by Eric Clapton himself.

The complete performance schedule for the all day event was posted today on Eric’s Fan Club site:

(www.WheresEric.com)

Check out this lineup:

11:50A – 12:15P Sonny Landreth

12:20P – 12:55P Robert Randolply joined by Joe Bonamassa, & Pino Daneile

1P – 1:40P Robert Cray with Jimmie Vaughan, & Hubert Sumlin

1:45P – 2P Bert Jansch

2:05P – 2:20P Stefan Grossman

2:25P – 2:50P ZZ Top

3P – 3:40P Doyle Bramhall joined by Gary Clark, Sheryl Crow

3:50P – 4:35P Vince Gill joined by Albert Lee, James Burton, Keb Mo

4:45P – 5P Citizen Cope

5:05P – 5:20P Earl Klugh

5:25P – 5:50P John Mayer

6P – 6:35P Buddy Guy with Jonny Lang

6:45P – 7:35P Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band joined by Warren Haynes, Sheryl Crow, David Hidalgo, Cesar Rojas, & Johnny Winter

7:45P – 8:20P Jeff Beck

8:35P – 10:05P Eric Clapton with Steve Winwood

10:10P – 10:30P BB King with Robert Cray Band

10:30P – 10:50P FINALE

That’s a whole lotta guitar playing mojo for a single event!

I would love to hear from anyone who attends! Otherwise I will have to wait for the DVD…

Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto "TAKE YOUR PICK"

Gibson.com is offering a free download from the new album by Larry Carlton and Takahiro “Tak” Matsumoto!

Three-time Grammy winner Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto, the most renowned guitarist in all of Asia, teamed up to compose, record and release “Take Your Pick”, an extraordinary collection of 12 original instrumentals already being hailed as “one of the most significant collaborations of contemporary guitar of all time.”

Larry and Tak invite you to download their new single, “Tokyo Nights.” Click the image above to request your free download.

Note: This offer will not last forever… so get your free download NOW!

[Click the Arrow to play "Tokyo Night" from the CD titled "Take Your Pick"]

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My good friend Jon from GuitarNoize.com has been promoting a contest for the past 3 weeks.

He posted a 2-minute “ballad-style” backing track on YouTube.com and challenged guitar players worldwide to record their individual, improvised solo over the top of it and then post it back to YouTube for John to grade.

It’s kind of like the “American Idol” for guitar players (albeit with only one judge).

He specifically asked for entries that were nicely phrased, melodic, and not “shred-style” playing… with the winner receiving an MXR Micro Flanger Pedal as the grand prize.

The competition has ended… and the pedal-winner will be announced soon.

There were 194 total video entries and I have selected what I believe to be the clear and decisive winner that soars high above all the others.

If this solo does not “take home the pedal”… then just chalk it up the Judges personal taste.

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For a link to the contest rules and backing track… CLICK HERE.

To watch the videos of all 194 entries, CLICK HERE.

Renegade Creation CD Cover

Renegade Creation is the new record by veteran musical giants, Michael Landau, Robben Ford, Jimmy Haslip and Gary Novak.

Blending together to create a blues-driven sound that not only will satisfy their individual fans but is fresh enough to attract a legion of new fans as well.

Delivering bothrootsy, blues/rock vocal tunes and fiery instrumentals, the band draws on the unique guitar interplay between guitar giants Robben Ford and Michael Landau who inspire each other to new personal bests.

From the American Blues News review:

Ford and Landau each sing four of the album’s tracks. And though there is no shortage of guitar from either of these gifted players, the album never feels like a vehicle for showboating.

The chemistry between Ford and Landau is impeccable. As they gently push one another to new levels of guitar greatness, they do so with poise and grace; never getting in each other’s way and never hogging the spotlight.

Vocally the two artists’ styles differ greatly. Ford delivers his four vocal tracks with passionate clarity, as Landau does so with a gritty Knopfler-esque swagger. This contrast from track to track keeps things fresh and interesting, in a way that a sole front-man can never achieve. Because Ford and Landau also split the bulk of the writing duties, the tracks that feature them on vocals are catered to their strengths and styles, providing the album with a diverse combination of flavors that manages to highlight each of their individual sensibilities, while never seeming out of place on the album as a whole.

When an album is released featuring such extraordinary talent like this, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that “jazz-rock fusion” will be on the menu… but when the guitar virtuoso Michael Landau is added to the mix, music fans are treated to a heaping helping of expertly executed guitar-driven blues-rock…with a complimentary serving of “fusion” on the side. - J. Blake – American Blues News

With RENEGADE CREATION the members of this super-group have returned to their bluesy roots, while staying true to their artistry. They’re taking blues-rock to new levels of sophistication.

One on my favorite tracks is called “The Darkness”. It’s a song credited to the entire band and features Ford and Landau working in the style I love to hear most… slow minor blues.

[Click the Arrow to play a sample of "The Darkness" from Renegrade Creation]

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Black Country Communion

What’s in a name? A lot of problems if you don’t have the legal right to use it.

So it was for Jason Bonham, Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian and Joe Bonamassa… until now.

The band they formed was originally announced as “Black Country” until they learned that the name was already being used.

Apparently the problem has been resolved… Meet “Black Country Communion“:

The bands official web site is up. Check it out by clicking HERE.

T-Bone Walker (born Aaron Joseph Walker) was born on this day in 1910.

T-Bone was a blues guitarist and one of the pioneers of the electric guitar. His electric guitar solos were some of the first heard on blues recordings.

Most of T-Bone’s music was recorded from 1946–1948, including “Stormy Monday” which he recorded in 1947. He followed with “T-Bone Shuffle” and “Let Your Hair Down, Baby”, both considered blues classics.

Jimi Hendrix referred to T-Bone as his childhood hero.

T-Bone was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Happy 100th Birthday T-Bone!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about “Guitar Artistry” and asked the question: If I can copy (insert your favorite guitar player’s name) licks, does that make me a guitar artist?

That thought jumped back to the front of my mind when I visited the web site of Hamilton Loomis and saw the words: “Innovate, Don’t Imitate”… a phrase coined by the late Bo Diddley and used to inspire Hamilton Loomis to re-define the blues.

Hamilton Loomis - LIVE in England

Loomis is one of the young artists at the forefront of bringing blues based American music into the 21st century and redefining it for a contemporary audience.

Whereas similar aged acts like Black Keys, Robert Randolph and White Stripes play American rock music with heavy blues influences, Loomis plays the inverse.

His is an undeniably blues based artist escalating into what All Music Guide calls “…a mixed bag of modern blues, modern funk, and slick soul.”

Born and raised in Galveston, Texas, Loomis was first hooked on music through his parents’ extensive collection of blues, rock, and soul records.

Loomis honed his multi-instrumental chops early, learning drums, piano, guitar, bass and harmonica by his early teens.  At age sixteen he went backstage to meet Bo Diddley, and before the night was over Loomis was onstage playing alongside the legend.

Since that meeting, Diddley quickly became a friend, mentor, and supporter.

“INNOVATE, DON’T IMITATE”…are Diddley’s words and they continue to inspire Loomis and fuel his desire for creativity and originality.

Hamilton Loomis’ “Live In England” release captures his masterfull blending of his myriad of influences into a live performance.

[Click the Arrow to play a sample of "Get My Blues On" by Hamilton Loomis]

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“Hamilton is the future of the electric blues.”
-Malcolm Walls, Delta Blues Festival

“Contemporary blues revivalist and guitar whiz…”
-Larry Nager, Memphis Commercial Appeal

“More than a triple threat man, he’s a singer, musician, composer. actor, and all-around high-powered entertainer who puts his own personal stamp on blues.”
-Kevin Wildman, Music News, Houston TX

“Hamilton is one bad white boy!”
-Lee Parker, North Alabama Blues Festival