Guitar Heroes

James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, David Wilcox

Stony Plain, 2015

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burton

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 04/26/2015

There are guitar summits and then there are guitar summits. The names James Burton, Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, and David Wilcox may not be well known to the generation of music fans under 30, but for people in the know, they present the cream of guitar players of the past half-century.

James Burton has appeared on hundreds of recordings, in addition to being the regular touring guitarist for Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley. Albert Lee has released 20 solo albums, taken part in well over 2000 recording sessions, and has toured with Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman, and The Crickets (among others). Amos Garrett can be heard with Maria Muldaur, Paul Butterfield, Doug Sahm, Bonnie Raitt, and his own jazz trio. David Wilcox was a member of Great Specked Bird (1970-1973), played with Ian & Sylvia and Maria Muldaur, and has consistently been one of Canada’s most influential and respected guitarists. my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

The masters of the Telecasters came together at the Vancouver Island Music Fest, July 12, 2013. They were backed by Albert Lee’s touring Band consisting of lead vocalist/keyboardist Jon Greathouse, bassist Will MacGregor, and drummer Jason Harrison Smith. It has taken nearly two years for the concert to be released, but Guita Summitt is worth the wait.

The songs run the gamut from blues to rockabilly to good old fashioned rock and roll as the four guitarists trade licks. James Burton leads off with “That’s All Right (Mama)’ and then recreates his original guitar performance of Dale Hawkins “Suzie Q.” David Wilcox provides a run of crystal clear notes on “Coming Home Baby.” Albert Lee is the ringmaster, but steps out front on his own “Country Boy.” Amos Garrett may produce the most technically adept performance as he coaxes exquisite sounds from his guitar on “Sleepwalk.”

Songs such as “Flip, Flop And Fly,” the swamp-laden “Polk Salad Annie,” and “You’re The One” are group efforts with the guitarists trading solos and coming back together.

The four guitarists play off of each other as the improvisations grow out of years of experience. While their style may be different from many modern day guitarists, their style and sound is eternal.

Albums such as this need to be appreciated for what they are, as the protagonists may not pass this way again.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


Comments

 








© 2015 David Bowling and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Stony Plain, and is used for informational purposes only.