The whole conversation between us started with Delaney Bramlett, and the fact that he is the godfather of the R&B, rock and blues music we hold most dear. This rather unknown-to-the-masses man taught and convinced Eric Clapton to sing the blues, and helped George Harrison write "My Sweet Lord" in addition to teaching him how to play the slide guitar. And that's just the tip of the Iceberg, there's far more, but I'll save it for another day and another post. Essentially, the man and his band became a haven for R&B and blues musicians in their formative years. The list is endless, including Clapton, Harrison, Duane and Gregg Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Mason, Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Carl Radle, Gram Parsons, Bobby Whitlock and King Curtis. There are many more, but that's not my point. It takes a force like Delaney to ensure that the best actually become the best, and he gave them a place to all play and learn together. Just the idea of great like-minded musicians playing together on each other's records, trading techniques and side men, and working and being together is a fascinating concept, and Delaney's greatest legacy.
Matt was kind enough to reiterate this point by expanding on my post about GCJr. See below:
We may have talked about this before because we are always talking about the incestual nature of good music. So Doyle bramhall II was the one that discovered GCJr through the Austin scene, and he brought him to Claptons Crossroads festival last year, which is pretty much how he started to blow up. If you don't have that dvd, it's streaming on netflix... it is definitely a must see all the way through.
I learned of this dvd from Matt in a past conversation where he told me the exact same thing. The 2010 festival held in June in Chicago was nothing short of what Matt had promised. Granted I've only seen portions of the dvd, it has hands down the best acts in the business. The Trucks and Tedeschi performance was actually the first footage I saw of them as a group. Matt continues:
The scene where Doyle talks about his(GCJr.) versatility, his ability to play texas, delta, and chicago style blues, along w/ being able to pull off some sweet R&B shit is awesome. Personally, i think Doyle's set steals the show, but GCJr just fucking kills it, and the first time i saw it, especially after Doyle's testimonial, i kind of had a feeling he was something special, even though he is surrounded by some of my heroes. Normally, anyone would be overshadowed in that situation, but this dude just kills it. That's connection 1... (he also sits in w/ derek and susan at that festival). Connection 2 is JJ johnson, the drummer in the SOD video. He happens to be 1/2 of Derek's drum duo, but has also played w/ tons of cats... Doyle included. I think he's an austin guy as well.
And that's why I'm so fortunate to have guys like Matt around to discuss music with. That's the kind of backstory you need on musicians to really understand them and their connections. GCJr's style and place make more sense now. You can see the group he belongs to, and it's one of if not the best out there right now. In this instance, through Clapton's festival Derek Trucks (and his bands) has become a new kind of gravitational force for this kind of music. He's bringing musicians together. And it doesn't end with the festival, it's an ongoing, ever-changing, full of potential kind of machine!
But wait, there's more:
I can't believe how much this guy has blown up... I was watching the Knick game on ESPN on sunday and GCJR was playing Bright Lights, Faith Hill style, like on monday night football. He also played at the White House when Obama had his celebration of the blues; it aired on PBS, definitely worth watching. Derek, Susan and Warren were there too, along w BB, Buddy, Mick and Jeff beck.
Goes to show though, this community of musicians that you and I have both gravitated towards, is kind of reminiscent of the Delaney, D&D, Mad Dogs thing, and it's fucking awesome.
Goes to show though, this community of musicians that you and I have both gravitated towards, is kind of reminiscent of the Delaney, D&D, Mad Dogs thing, and it's fucking awesome.
Dead on. Fucking Awesome. It is reminiscent of the Delaney days, and Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen performances. This is the new generation of talent, and they're building upon their ancestors work. They really are that good. No flash in the pan, no bullshit. These guys aren't mainstream, cashing in the big checks. They're on the road most of the year, and the top ones may not be scrapping by, but they're not making Hip-Hop Money. They're in it for the love of the game, plain and simple. And because of that, they enjoy collaboration with like minds, and the product is authentic. And to me, there's nothing better than authenticity. That's what mainstream music lacks, and that's what makes these guys, in all there incestuous glory, the best thing happening in music right now.
As always, thank you Matty.
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