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| Sonny Landreth to perform June 16 at RME Grammy-nominee and blues slide guitarist, Sonny Landreth, returns to the Redstone Room at the River Music Experience, 129 Main St., Davenport, to perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 16, 2012 in support of his new album, Elemental Journey, which will be release on May 22. Eric Clapton once declared: "Sonny Landreth is probably the most underestimated musician on the planet, and also probably one of the most advanced." Take Clapton's word for it - Landreth is a musician's musician, a blues guitarist and singer whose unorthodox virtuosic slide guitar style is unique and unforgettable. He plays with the slide on his little finger, using the other fingers in his left hand to fret notes on the guitar's neck, all while playing chords and melodies in his right hand. Of course, Landreth can also play "traditional" guitar with the best of them. A formidable studio musician, he has appeared on recordings by Mountain, John Hiatt, Jimmy Buffett, and numerous other musical legends. Over decades of recording and performing, he has built up a loyal following among his fans and musical peers. Born in 1951 in Canton, Mississippi, Landreth eventually settled with his family in Lafayette, Louisiana, where, after a stint with the trumpet, he first picked up the guitar. His first albums appeared on the Louisiana-based Blues Unlimited label, and his second release, Way Down in Louisiana (1986), got him noticed by some Nashville record executives. Soon, he was working with major musical stars like John Hiatt, John Mayall, and New Orleans bandleader Allen Toussaint, and was cutting additional albums, including Outward Bound (1992), South of I-10, and several discs that featured source material from earlier in his career. The new millennium has found Landreth continuing to tour, record, and collaborate. His recent releases include Levee Town (2000), The Road We're On (2003), Grant Street (2005) and From the Reach (2008). Elemental Journey, his 11th album, will be released on May 22nd, 2012. The disc is Landreth's first all-instrumental effort and his most adventurous work to date. "What I'd hoped to end up creating was sonic stories without words, " he says. "And because there are no lyrics, it's really important to connect on an emotional level ... I want listeners to feel something that resonates with them personally. I've always tried to make music that engages you on a deeper level that way." write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |