Various Artists
Guitar Heroes: Making History
Stony Plain 1381

www.stonyplainrecords.com
 

Recorded live at the midsummer Vancouver Island Music Festival in 2013, this once-in-a-lifetime gathering features four blues and rockabilly-infused and early rock ‘n’ roll-style Telecaster guitar masters. In fact each of these gentlemen, in their own way and often in the background, have both embodied and altered the sound of popular music since the mid-1950s.

James Burton, like contemporaries Al Casey and Roy Buchanan, was basically a rockabilly guitarist (that’s him on Dale Hawkins’ “Suzy Q” from 1957) who survived handsomely over the ensuing decades with voluminous “chicken pickin’” session work with everyone from Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley to Gram Parsons and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Similarly, as Chris Farlowe’s guitarist in his UK-based Thunderbirds combo, Albert Lee garnered a storied reputation in London in the mid-1960s and, although his lack of solo recording success has denied him any far-reaching acclaim, the accomplished ax-man certainly hasn’t lacked for session work with the likes of Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings, the Every Brothers and hundreds of others.

Canadian-American Amos Garrett is perhaps best known for his guitar solo on Maria Muldaur’s atmospheric hit “Midnight At The Oasis,” but over the course of a lengthy career Amos can be heard on recordings by more than 150 artists – from Paul Butterfield and Doug Sahm to Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris. Lucky him!

Lastly, ex-Great Speckled Bird David Wilcox is one of Canada’s most in-demand roots music-oriented musicians, who has also spent time with Muldaur as well as Ian Tyson and the acclaimed Nashville North. Accompanied by members of Lee’s regular touring band – keyboardist and lead vocalist Jon Greathouse, bassist Will MacGregor and drummer Jason Harriman Smith – the result is a chemically memorable roots/rock set of the highest order and splendidly recorded.

Favorites are many: Garrett’ stratospheric, string-bending reworking of Santo and Johnny’s eerie instrumental hit “Sleep Walk,” a slowly unreeling cover of Jimmy Seals’ ruminative “Only The Young,” a soulfully rocking version of Ray Charles’ classic warning “Leave My Woman Alone” and the closing fast-paced, fingers flying, fretboard-smoking take on Albert Lee’s confessional saga “Country Boy.” Also noted is a vigorous instrumental romp on Tony Joe White’s classic tribute to one “Polk Salad Annie.” Treat yourself.

— Gary von Tersch