People who don't see that Blues is alive and well come up to me in clubs and music clinics and ask, 'Who are the new masters.' So, I thought I'd take a minute and write about my favorite LIVING musicians. I didn't limit this to just straight Bluesers, so don't get upset. If you want to read about my favorite classic Blues musicians then click on this link:Classic Blues

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - There is no one out there doing as much to carry the Blues forward as Kenny. He has broadened the palette of Blues. He doesn't just play straight Blues forms and Stevie Ray Vaughan licks. He mixes up all kinds of music and comes up with his own thing. Truthfully, when I heard that first record I thought, 'Oh, no! This isn't going anywhere. Just a bunch of SRV licks in a new context.' BUT, the second and third record are tremendous and prove he has his own voice. His version of 'Them Changes' on LIVE ON has to be the baddest version ever recorded of that tune, including the Hendrix version! The song 'Blue on Black' from TROUBLE IS… is one of the most perfect musical statements I have ever heard. That song contains my favorite solo by Kenny. He has a million interesting tones and searches for a different one on EVERY tune. You got to give the guy credit.

Otis Rush - What better example do you want? Otis is the real deal, live and kicking. He revolutionized Chicago Blues by putting a contemporary edge on it in the late 50s and early 60s. He's one of those guys whose influence you can*t escape. I mean, how many guitar players got turned on to the Blues by Zeppelin's version of 'I Can't Quit You Babe' ? Jimmy Page not only stole a lot of licks off Otis' original but the entire arrangement too! Otis is still a monster.

Johnny Lang - Expect great things from this guy. I am a firm believer in a musical hierarchy based on ability not age. He has a killer sound and he sings beautifully. He'll be around for years because he's a young man, but don't take him for granted.

Warren Haynes - I have been listening to THE DEEP END VOL. 1 like crazy. Gov't Mule was another band I wasn't sure about. Now I think that DEEP END Vol. 1 is one of the greatest Rock/Blues records ever made. I know it's really a rock and roll record, but Warren is so Bluesy and pays so much respect to Blues that he gets my vote as one of the contemporary greats. I first heard him on Kenny Wayne Shepherd's cut 'You Should Know Better' which starts with this KILLER slide sound. I had to know who it was immediately. After listening to that track a zillion times I went out and bought Gov't Mule LIVE WITH A LITTLE HELP….and was intrigued but not blown way. Still one or two cuts sounded incredible. Then THE DEEP END came out and I was floored. 'Life on the Outside' is my favorite.

Buddy Guy - I saw Buddy not too long ago and he still had all the energy of a sixteen year old boy with a Playboy and a box of Kleenex. I am NOT saying that he is jerking off when he plays. He is just inexhaustible. He will not be outdone. He always has a trick in his back pocket that will floor you. Try to outplay Buddy Guy? Forget it. Cherish this master while we have him.

Sonny Landreth - I first heard of Sonny when he was featured in Guitar Player Magazine. I went to see him play with John Hiatt soon afterward and I have been a huge fan of both men ever since. Sonny is a technical innovator on the level of Charlie Christian or Jimi Hendrix. He not only revolutionized slide guitar, but I believe he made a whole generation of people outside of Louisiana aware of Cajun music and Zydeco. Sonny's was the first to use behind the slide fingering to it's full effect. Because of this he's not limited to certain chords or notes when he plays. He is also a wonderful songwriter and intriguing singer. I could go on and on about him. I love him on John Hiatt's SLOW TURNING and his own LEVEE TOWN. Unbelievable.

B. B. King - The ambassador of the Blues, B is the single most important Blues guitarist and singer to appear after T-Bone Walker and before Stevie Ray Vaughan. As I've said before, you can*t escape his influence, even if you don't like him. He built modern Blues guitar from the bottom up. He has been around for so long that you can identify three major styles in his playing, almost like he was three entirely different people. Early on he had a simplified style based on T-Bone Walker. Later he developed into a virtuoso, now he has settled into a lush guitar stylist whose every note is packed full of emotion. Of course this is a very simple minded way of looking at B. B., but if I told you everything great about him I'd be here for weeks.

Bonnie Raitt - Bonnie is the only person in the world who comes close to having as beautiful a slide sound as Ry Cooder. She has one of the most identifiable voices in music. I love all her slide work.

Ry Cooder - You can't pick up a slide without paying tribute to Ry. He has shaped our idea of slide so much that you can't escape playing his licks. I have stayed up to the wee small hours just to see a movie or two that he sound tracked. My favorite record with him is John Hiatt's BRING THE FAMILY. Ry has so many interests and talents that you rarely hear or see him play loads of guitar, but on BRING THE FAMILY he is all over the place, filling it up around Hiatt's lovely acoustic playing. NO ONE can get as deep a sound as he gets with a slide. I love him. I wish he played more these days. Maybe someone can clear this up for me. Is that Ry on the soundtrack to MIDNIGHT RUN by Danny Elfman? That has to be the textbook of slide guitar and I always assumed it was him.

Ronnie Earl - The only person on tape going toe to toe with Stevie Ray Vaughan and not only surviving but thriving! Ronnie is a living master that should be seen as often as possible if you dig Blues. My favorite solo of his is that one off 'So Many Roads' from Ron Levy's WILD KINGDOM record. He is passion epitomized.

Robert Randolph - My latest obsession. Robert is going to be the next big thing in roots music. His brand of Gospel/Blues and Rock cannot be ignored. I first heard him on the radio in Ireland. They played his cut 'I'll Fly Away' from the cooperative group THE WORD. Whoa, I hoped to God that this guy wasn't playing a slide guitar. If he was, I was going to hang the slide up for good. There was no hope of coming close to what this guy does. Thankfully, they announced it was a pedal steel guitar. But I still had thoughts of hanging it up. Robert comes from a long tradition of steel guitar music based in his church. His music is simple and DEEP. He loves classic rock and Blues and mixes it up with his Gospel roots. He is also one SRV's biggest fans and I have to love him for that. His LIVE AT THE WETLANDS is terrific but only a glimpse of what he is capable of.

Derek Trucks - Derek gets an amazing sound, in fact, it's as close as you can get to a steel guitar with a six string. His playing on the record JOYFUL NOISE covers so much ground that I have no idea what he'll do next. I want to see him explore more of the what is possible in the Blues, but whatever he does is terrific. Can't wait for the next record!

Lonnie Mack - There is no one I would rather jam with. Lonnie has been one of my heroes since I discovered his music in the early 80s. I love his WHAM OF THAT MEMPHIS MAN and all the singles from that period around 1963. He was a huge influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie's 'Scuttle Buttin'' is almost the same riff as Lonnie's 'Chickin' Pickin'. I haven't seen him doing many gigs these days but I dream of my chance to play with him.

Johnny Winter - NO one knows the Blues like Johnny Winter. I don't have many of his records and I have rarely seen him play but he is a master and a complete encyclopedia of the Blues. He gave the world back Muddy Waters in the late 70s early 80s. We should all thank him for that.

Jimmie Vaughan - Stevie Ray Vaughan's big brother. There was a two year period in my life when all I listened to was the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Jimmie played a pivotal role in the Blues revival that led to his brother's fame. Jimmie is the bravest guitarist I have ever heard. He has remained true to his vision of Blues for over twenty five years. He has no desire to play solos with a million notes. He tries to knock you out with one. He and Stevie are the reason I am playing today.

Eric Clapton - The greatest living Blues guitarist, period.

Clarence Gatemouth Brown – I’m probably missing out on some great stuff, but I only got into the early Gate. The Complete Peacock Recordings opened my ears to the fact that the old guys could do it better than anyone today. Gate had incredible energy and style that few have matched since. I can’t breath without this one.

Freddie King – Who isn’t influenced by Freddie, Albert and B.B. King? Even if you never listened to them it doesn’t matter because everybody else did. You can’t play one line without touching on something they’ve already done. Their output constitutes the basic grammar of modern blues. Freddie’s Let’s Hideaway and Dance Away was important to me, but Freddie King Sings has the best guitar playing. I was obsessed with I’m Tore Down from that record.

Albert King – I have to admit that I didn’t love Albert at first, then I grew up. He’s all about tone and squeezing every bit of emotion out of every note. I’ll Play the Blues for You was the first album of his that I owned. I’ll Be Doggone killed me. The band is TIGHT and Albert teases you for a long time with complaints about old age before he lets it rip.

B.B. King – I learned every note, horn riffs and piano fills too, off the double LP compilation on Kent called In the Beginning. This is the early B.B. and on these tracks he simultaneously creates and defines modern blues guitar. B.B. has it all taste, drama and style. Live at the Regal’s slow blues medley of Sweet Little Angel, It’s My Own Fault and How Blue Can You Get with it’s throngs of screaming women is a study in pacing and construction. It gets more and more heavy as it goes. Just when you think he can go no further the band modulates and he lays one of the heaviest blues songs of all time on you. Live blues is a different beast all together from it’s second cousin twice removed in the studio.

T-Bone Walker – Here’s another guy you can’t escape. You don’t have to buy his records for him to have an effect. All the big boys stole from T-Bone. The oldest stuff is best. I love The Complete Imperial Recordings. Although T-Bone could tear it up the most important thing to learn from him is to RELAX and tell the story from the beginning.

The Vaughan Brothers – Jimmie and Stevie accomplished something very difficult in the blues world where almost everything has been done before, they had personality. Stevie had a dash of Hendrix and a whole mess of Albert King and Jimmie idolized Freddie King and Magic Sam, but you can tell in an instant who is playing. Stevie and Jimmie had a wonderful influence on my life. They inspired me to dig up old records, to cop solos and learn everything I could about blues. He and Jimmie were virtual encyclopedias on the subject. I love everything they did. People don’t give enough credit to Jimmie, even though he’s inspired innumerable imitators. When you see some band decked out in 50’s garb remember that Jimmie is so heavy that everyone stole his look too!

Pee Wee Crayton – I listened to tons of Pee Wee. One of the first tunes I ever learned was his mellow Blues After Hours. That song is still powerful to me. He loved T-Bone Walker and played a style virtually identical to him, but he had a more aggressive attack and brighter sound.

Lonnie Mack – I didn’t know who Lonnie Mack was until Stevie co-produced Strike Like Lightning. His tone is unbelievable on that record. Good boy that I was, notice the past tense, I dug up his first record The Wham of that Memphis Man and I was hooked. I didn’t know guys were playing like that in 1963. They weren’t, Lonnie was the first. I learned everything off that record and all the singles from that era. He is also a marvelous singer. I can’t explain how important Lonnie Mack is to me.

Roy Buchanan – The thing I liked about Roy is that he was WEIRD. He did all kinds of things that for most people would be tricks, but for him it was like breathing. He had a unique vision of what the guitar could do and was one of the great voices of blues guitar. I have Guitar Player Magazine to thank for introducing me to Roy’s music. When a Guitar Plays the Blues was the first record I bought of his, but the first thing I ever heard was a soundpage in Guitar Player of Blues for Jimmy Nolen. It has since been issued on Alligator Records and I am glad. That instrumental has the whole range of human emotions on it and a few from the animal world and the cosmos thrown in for good measure. It’s a masterpiece.

Albert Collins – Like Albert King, Albert Collins was about tone. I never stole any lines from him and no one can get his sound, but his attitude inspired me to no end. I love the way he utilizes different notes and bends than the norm. I’m currently trying to compile the oldest recordings and learn his hip instrumentals. Never stop learning.

Robert Cray – I recently had a conversation with a huge Albert Collins fan and he claimed that Robert Cray gets creamed on the album Showdown with Albert, Robert and Johnny Copeland. I objected on a bunch of levels. First, I don’t think that a guitar battle was the point of that record. Second, Albert Collins could overshadow anybody on guitar so that would be pointless. Third, Robert Cray gets an incredible tone on all his records. He obviously digs Johnny Guitar Watson, but it’s his sound and I could tell you in two or three notes if he was playing. Personality is everything. Sonny from False Accusations is one of my all time favorite solos. I heard O.V. Wright for the first time recently and know where Robert got some of his vocal sound.

Eric Clapton – I could go on and on about Eric. The first solo I ever learned off a record was I Ain’t Got You by the Yardbirds. Quickly afterwards I stole his Steppin’ Out and his version of Freddie King’s Hideaway from John Mayall’s Blues Breakers. I am searching for a version of Eric and the Bluesbreakers playing I’m Your Witch Doctor. It has the most incredible feedback fills. His most incredible blues playing was on the video of Ronnie Lane’s Appeal to ARMS. Eric’s playing an original 1958 Gibson Explorer on a medley of blues tunes through several keys, and, like B.B. on Live at the Regal he astounds you with how long he can sustain and then elevate the energy. Same Old Blues from Behind the Sun is also one of his best.

Steve Cropper – I love all the old Stax records. That sound along with Motown defined sixties soul. Steve Cropper didn’t take many solos, but his rhythm guitar playing is impossible to ignore. He only played what was necessary and his parts were always complimentary to the concept. Everybody stole from him. I wonder if he minds?

Buddy Guy – I love all the early Buddy. I learned a lot of his songs and solos. This won’t be a popular opinion but I think his singing is better than his guitar playing. My favorite of his is One Room Country Shack. I also listened to Buddy Guy and Junior Wells Play the Blues a lot.

Otis Rush – The Cobra records are the best, but Looking Back from a live record is the one that first captured my heart. I wanted to learn how to get his controlled bends so I strung my guitar upside down and learned his tunes that way. Now, when I want that Otis sound, I bend notes on the third and fourth string by pulling them towards the floor instead of pushing them towards the sky. You gotta get lowdown to play Otis!

Magic Sam – Everybody digs West Side Soul , but for me it was Black Magic. The band is tighter and a lot more in tune. Just a Little Bit is my fave. I recently discovered Live at Ann Arbour and know why he was such a big deal. Once he gets that vibrato in his voice and his slashing guitar sound going it’s obvious that he was one of the great ones.

Guitar Slim – No one got a nastier sound than Guitar Slim. All the Specialty records kick ass. Ray Charles gets credit for introducing the Gospel sound into Blues, but it was definitely Slim. All the guitar solos that you can actually hear are marvelous, especially I Done Got Over It and The Story of My Life.

Jimmy Rogers – He’s one of the great unsung heroes of the Blues. He and Muddy wrote the book on Chicago blues. He was a wonderful rhythm player, but he could take your head off with some of his solos. Walking Through the Park with Muddy is scary. This is a theory that will get me into trouble, but after hearing Jimmy on this cut and knowing that he played on almost all the Chuck Berry sides from that era, who do you think took all those famous solos on Johnny B. Good and Roll Over Beethoven?

Muddy Waters – His influence is so large that you can’t even begin to estimate it. My first Muddy record was Fathers and Sons. The slide solos on that record are perfect. Muddy just about played the same solo on all slow blues from this era, but if I had something that heavy to say I would too!

Earl Hooker – You give a slide to Earl Hooker and you’re in for some trouble. He contributed some good licks to other peoples records, but the instrumentals where he plays slide are the classics. His intonation is perfect. When he plays a note flat or sharp it’s on purpose. Blue Guitar and Tanya are my favorites.

Ronnie Earl – I like to think of Ronnie as a sad version of Jimmie Vaughan. He’s not afraid of long notes and crying bends, but always plays with economy. His They Call Me Mr.Earl on Blacktop Records is great along with his work on Ron Levy’s Wild kingdom and Hubert Sumlin’s Blues Party.

Duke Robillard – He’s one of the greatest guitarists in the world. He has enormous stylistic range. I loved the Roomful of Blues album Red Hot and Blue. The first two Pleasure Kings records has great stuff on it too. The all time killer cut is the guitar duel he recorded with Jimmie Vaughan called Cookin’. It was a soundpage in Guitar Player Magazine and I’ve rarely heard either of those two monsters sound better.

Willie Johnson (Wolf’s W.J.) - Don’t confuse this Willie Johnson with Blind Willie Johnson. This Willie is the guitarist on all of Howlin’ Wolf’s Sun recordings. He must have played through a tube amp with a ten inch speaker at full volume to get his chain saw sound.

Hubert Sumlin – Hubert is unique. He never borrowed a thing from anyone. His is a frail genius that takes risks and offers no apologies for missed marks. His solos on Howlin’ Wolf’s Spoonful, Smokestack Lightning, Louise, Going Down Slow and Three Hundred Pounds of Joy are my principle inspiration. I can only hope to play with such personality and vision. Thank You Hubert.

Elmore James – Elmore is like Mexican Food, the same five ingredients served up in a hundred ways, but you still got to have it! Talk to Me Baby on Chess is my favorite. Well, they are all my favorite, because they are all the same song. Read my statement about Muddy Waters to hear what I think about such repetition.

Robert Nighthawk – He was one of the perfect performers of the blues. He was a unique singer and an extraordinary slide player. Mellow does not begin to describe Nighthawk playing a slow blues. The Moon is Rising, Anna Lee and Sweet Black Angel are examples of why everybody stole his style and tunes. He is fascinating to me because of the clear line of his musical heritage. A lot is written about the mentor system in blues, but there are few clearer examples than the progression from Tampa Red through Houston Stackhouse to Robert Nighthawk and then Earl Hooker. Who are the great personalities today? Where do you serve your player’s apprenticeship in an age where small clubs and street playing are dying?