After our recent “Name the Ronnie Earl Painting” contest, I have been on the hunt for some fresh Ronnie video.

Then two days ago… on Friday the 13th, Tab Benoit and Ronnie Earl played together for the first time and YouTube has the video to prove it!

It was a great night at The Bull Run Restaurant with Tab Benoit rocking the house all night long and then inviting Ronnie Earl up on stage for a few tunes.

After over 250+ suggestions, Tom Noll has selected a title for the Ronnie Earl painting!

Read this:

I’ve finished the Ronnie Earl painting and selected the perfect title. But first, I’d like to thank everybody that has been a part of this painting experience. Great inspiration has come from reading not only your title submissions, but all your comments from the heart. So many people opened up to say how much Ronnie Earl means in their life. It really meant a lot to me and made me realize this was bigger than I originally thought, and much more than just another painting. You would think it would have been a lot of pressure, but the energy just flowed out.

So, if a painting could have dozens of names, this would be it, but I’ve chosen the name: “Transcendence”.

“Transcendence”, Blues Guitarist Ronnie Earl, painted by Tom Noll

Thank you to Natalie Berry for this great title. She submitted this to the Buzz… “Ever since I first heard Ronnie live in 1989, his music has always had the effect of helping me to transcend myself and taking me to a better place. So I would like to call the painting “Transcendence.”

I feel that this name captures what Ronnie is about, and what his fans embrace. I truly hope Ronnie will give it the nod.

Natalie will be receiving a complimentary print from the limited-edition run as promised!

I suspect I will have prints in hand in a couple weeks to start delivering. Pre-orders on these 19” x 27” print are suggested to secure your low numbers of the run of 500. Send an email to me at Tom@TomNoll.com and I will hook you up at the introductory price of $229 and $8 to ship ($12.50 international).

I’m honoring this price until July 20th.

Thanks again… and feel free to pass this along to all your Ronnie Earl friends!

-Tom

NEWS FLASH! THE PAINTING HAS BEEN NAMED! [CLICK HERE] TO READ…

After the overwhelming response to the previous “Name the Painting” contests for Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, Roy Buchanan and Billy Gibbons, my good friend and world-renowned artist Tom Noll is back at it again with blues guitar legend Ronnie Earl on his canvas!

Regular readers of TheGuitarBuzz know that I am a huge fan of Ronnie Earl! Let’s just say I already have a spot on the wall reserved for this one!

Ronnie Earl picked up his first guitar the age of 20.  He became serious about the blues after attending a Muddy Waters concert at the Jazz Workshop, a small club in Boston. By his third year in college, Ronnie was seriously pursuing his guitar playing and would go on for the next 39 years to stretch the boundaries of electric blues guitar.

In 1979, Ronnie Earl joined the Roomful of Blues, then a ten-piece ensemble group based in Providence, Rhode Island, where he would spend the next eight years playing and touring while releasing a number of albums. In 1988 Ronnie formed his own band that he called The Broadcasters, named after the first Fender guitar which originally had been labeled The Broadcaster and was distributed in 1950.

Ronnie musical influences are blues guitarist and vocalist Otis Rush as well as Magic Sam, Guitar Slim, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery, all of whom have deeply and profoundly shaped and inspired his playing.

Ronnie Earl is a two-time (1997, 1999) W.C. Handy Blues Award winner as Guitar Player of the Year. He has served as an Associate Professor of Guitar at Berklee College of Music, taught for five years at the National Guitar summer workshop in Connecticut. In 1995 Ronnie released Ronnie Earl: Blues Guitar with Soul, an instructional VHS tape that was then re-released in DVD format in 2005.

He has played alongside such greats as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, Otis Rush, Earl King, Junior Wells, and Buddy Guy. Listen to what his peers have to say:

“I feel the respect and affection for him that a father feels for his son. He is one of the most serious blues guitarists you can find today. He makes me proud.” ~ B. B. King

“Perhaps the finest living blues guitarist on the planet.” ~ The Boston Phoenix

“He has released some twenty albums – but Ronnie Earl can still take your breath away.”~ Guitar Player Magazine

Ronnie’s road manager, Tom Hazeltine, is a talented photographer and has captured hundreds shots of Ronnie playing live.

You can find many of them on Ronnie’s Official Website and Tom’s Facebook Page.

Ronnie Earl Sketch by Tom Noll

Here is a “sketch” that Tom Noll made from one of my favorite photographs, which captures the pure emotion of Ronnie’s music and is the inspiration for Tom’s newest painting!

Tom estimates the Ronnie Earl painting will take several weeks to come together (progress shots will be posted on his web site – CLICK HERE), with prints of the original oil painting available shortly after.

The artprints are super high quality giclees, which utilize fade resistant UV archival inks. They’re produced from the original oil painting, and are rolled and shipped in a rigid tube along with a certificate of authenticity. The prints are perfect for matting and framing, and will be a memorable addition to any room.

The 27″x19″ prints will be available in mid-July at the introductory price of $229.00 (plus $8.00 to ship within the USA; $12.50 internationally)

Take a look at the “Creative Bone ArtWorks” Official Web Site and browse Tom’s extensive gallery of “Art That Rocks” which includes many guitar players like Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Jeff Beck, Muddy Waters, Keith Richards, David Gilmour, B.B. King, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Les Paul, Johnny Cash, Gary Moore, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Roy Buchanan and Billy Gibbons. There you will find information about pricing, sizes and other info on Tom’s creative artwork.

GuitarDaddy Tip: You can Pre-Order a Ronnie Earl print by contacting Tom directly. Pre-ordering will allow you to reserve a low-numbered print and to receive your print much faster.

“This painting captures Ronnie Earl in a classic emotional pose playing live at One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine, January 2012.  I can almost hear his strat sing!  He plays with such pure passion.  I’m counting on the Guitar Buzz readers to come up with some fitting name suggestions!” Thanks…Tom

Tom’s Promise: If you are the winner of the contest and you also pre-ordered a print, your money will be refunded! So go ahead and CONTACT TOM at Tom@TomNoll.com to pre-order now!

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENT!

“I love these NAME THE PAINTING contests! They are so inspirational to me!”
- Tom Noll, owner of Creative Bone Artworks

Also, keep checking back to TheGuitarBuzz.com for contest updates!

Check out the 6/17/12 Update:

Note: In the case of duplicate submissions, the person who suggested the name first will have claim to that name. Also note, the winner will forfeit any and all rights to the name to Tom Noll if it is selected to be the winner.

This weeks photo is an emotion filled scene of Ronnie Earl…captured playing live.
Mood set by Ronnie, Dave, Jimmy & Lorne!
Photo by Tom Hazeltine.
For more information, visit Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters Official Website.

Ronnie Earl, Blues Guitar Virtuoso

“I feel the respect and affection for him that a father feels for his son. He is one of the most serious blues guitarists you can find today. He makes me proud.” – B. B. King

Regular readers of The Guitar Buzz know that Ronnie Earl is one of the top 5 influences of my guitar playing style.

I have written several posts about Ronnie and how his music resonates with me.

Tonight, while surfing YouTube (my 2nd favorite pass-time), I came across this video by Tom Hazeltine, Ronnie’s road manager. I personally met Tom and Ronnie 2 years ago when I traveled to Boston to see Ronnie play at the Regent Theater.

This audio, video and photographic collage are the perfect example of Ronnie Earl’s music…Enjoy!

So who are GuitarDaddy’s “other 4 influential guitar players”?

1) Joe Bonamassa
2) Carlos Santana
3) Eric Clapton
4) Derek Trucks

There you have it…no more secrets!

My good friend Ronnie Earl is back out out on mini-tour playing clubs in the New England area.

This is a fresh video of Ronnie and the gang playing a set at Chans, Woonsocket, RI on October 2, 2010.

On this night, Ronnie invited Julie Melucci on stage to join him. The band: Ronnie Earl (guitar), Dave Limina (keyboards), Lorne Entress (drums), Jimmy Mouradian (bass) and Julie Melucci on lead guitar.

Watch the VIDEO:

Ever since seventh grade, I have been very interested in attending Berklee College of Music. It wasn’t until the ninth grade when I realized how serious I really was becoming. Music had always been my biggest hobby, but it was turning into a lifestyle. I began to play out more, and was introduced to the Boston music scene at the beginning of this year. After playing at the Right Turn Gets the Blues Benefit Concert at Johnny D’s, meeting Ronnie Earl and being invited on stage to play with his band, I found my love for the blues. I had always been influenced by blues-influenced artists such as John Mayer and Hendrix, but I never really looked much into their influences. But after that night, I read into the blues more than ever and played on stage with Earl multiple times later in the year… -Julie Melucci

Read more about Julie Melucci: http://www.myspace.com/juliemelucci
Read more about Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters: http://www.RonnieEarl.com

Regular readers of TheGuitarBuzz.com know that I am a long time follower of Ronnie Earl’s music. Ronnie is a no frills, no flash, passionate and soulful blues guitarist…one of the best I have ever had the opportunity to hear.

Ronnie Earl - Spread The Love CD

Ronnie Earl’s 20th release is available now from Stony Plain Records and “Spread the Love” qualifies as an all-instrumental religious experience in the blues.

Ronnie has the ability of a pentecostal evangelist to reach deep inside someone’s soul and move them emotionally. The difference is that he does it without saying or singing a single word. He does all of his “preaching” with the strings of his Stratocaster.

Ronnie resides in the Boston area and while he does not generally play venues that are more than a few hours from home, he still gets out and “Spreads The Love” by playing the message of the blues that’s ingrained into his soul.

And we are so blessed that he does.

Earl’s influences run parallel with many blues guitar aficionado’s — with the likes of Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner and Otis Rush leading the way. “Spread the Love” includes a powerful step in the direction of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert Collins and Duane Allman. With that breadth of impression, “Spread the Love” is 14 tracks of instrumental blues that could double as a lifetime achievement award and a masterclass study — all in one.

Ronnie’s band “The Broadcasters” include: Dave Limina (Piano, Hammond B3), Jim Mouradian (Bass), Lorne Entress (Drums) and are as tight as you could imagine. Their execution is flawless.

It’s next to impossible to pick a favorite track. This is a 14-for-14 home run performance.

“Skyman” is Earl’s southern blues tribute to the memory of Duane Allman. “Backstroke” is Ronnie’s take on an Albert Collins cover that proves that the blues does not require over-playing or wasting notes. There is a just enough touch of jazzy blues on the cover of “Chitlin’s Con Carne” to make it fresh. “Blues for Donna” plays tribute to his loving wife and re-invents the phrase “slow blues” with eloquence. “Cristo Redentor” is the perfect example of a slow blues song where every note has a defined purpose and feeling. Remember, this is a masterclass study.

Ronnie Earl is one of my hero’s. He has conquered alcohol addiction, cocaine abuse and mental depression all throughout his brilliant musical career. While he is clean and sober today (for nearly 20 years) the life of addiction was hard on Ronnie.

I am convinced that there is a deep well of gladness and gratitude inside of Ronnie Earl, a spiritual source that he reaches for whenever he plays, whether it is at a concert, in the studio, at a church or at a local shelter. This endless reservoir of hope fuels his belief that things can always get better and that miracles can and do happen! -Rev. Deborah J. Blanchard

Ronnie is known for writing and dedicating songs to people who are important to him.  Some are by influence, many are in spirit and a select few are personal friends who stood by his side throughout the hardest times… like Tommy Hazeltine, Ronnie’s tour manager.  I met Tommy a couple of years ago before Ronnie’s concert at the Regent Theater in Arlington, MA, after I snuck into the building during Ronnie’s sound check (I really did!).  I explained to Tommy that I had traveled from Arizona to Boston to see Ronnie play live. Tommy made arrangements for me to meet Ronnie backstage — an encounter I will always remember.

The concert that night went well past midnight. I wonder if that was the origin to this song…

[Listen to "Tommy's Midnight Blues"]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Bottom line, you can’t afford to miss this release!

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.

While the world is waiting for the Super Bowl to begin, I am perusing YouTube… watching classic videos from my guitar heroes. What a great way to pass the time!

Most of you know that I am a huge fan of Ronnie Earl and when I came across this rare clip of his impromptu rendition of “Amazing Grace” (played while sitting on the church steps) it seemed appropriate to share with the readers of the BUZZ on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.

ENJOY THE VIDEO!