You don't have to go far to get the blues. VOA's Doug Levine tells us about three new blues releases that will have you feeling anything but blue.
Blues and rock come together on singer Walter Trout's new album The Outsider, featuring the track "The Restless Age." The New Jersey native is one of today's finest blues guitarists, drawing comparisons to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
But, guitar wasn't Walter Trout's first instrument of choice. He started on trumpet, contemplating a life in jazz, when he heard an album by The Paul Butterfield Blues band that inspired him to pick up the electric guitar and play the blues. Trout has a wide international fan base, with members of his fan club located in Europe, Australia and the U.S.
Singer-songwriter Mike Zito may lean towards pop and soul, but his latest album Today is getting rave reviews as one of the year's best blues releases.
Zito hails from St. Louis, Missouri where he quickly mastered the electric guitar. He was popular on the St. Louis music scene before moving to southeastern Texas and launching his solo recording career. Zito's album features a dozen original tunes and a blues-rock update of Prince's "Little Red Corvette."
While Mike Zito and Walter Trout deliver top-notch guitar work, Kenny Wayne proves why he's still the reigning king of boogie-woogie piano.
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne has been playing the blues since he was old enough to walk. He was encouraged to play gospel music, but he soon mastered the fine art of boogie-woogie. Born in Spokane, Washington and now living in Canada, Wayne is known for blending blues with soul, jazz and swing.
Wayne's new album Can't Stop Now includes a tribute to legendary New Orleans musicians Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew, as well as a tune by the late blues piano great Johnnie Johnson titled "Tanqueray."
