the hands do truly fly and carry out ears

Sonny Landreth

Recorded Live in Lafayette

Provogue Records

   This is a musician who can keep your ears astounded and on edge because you don’t believe it is only one person playing the guitar, and if you go see him live and you are close enough to see what the fingers of both hands are doing all over the guitar it is almost impossible to keep your jaw out of you lap because you can’t believe it is just his two hands and only his ten fingers cause all that sound to shift and change.  Honest he only has 2 hands and ten fingers, do not believe what your ears are telling you in this case.  This is only his second live CD, which seems a crime as he is so entertaining to watch and listen to.  Included here is a video made at the performances they did to record these songs at the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, La.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoGxhzrAEt4   to give you an idea and taste of the music 

   However there is good news as it is a double disc, and one disc is acoustic and one is electric, it is Sonny Landreth with his regular band: David Ranson on bass and background vocals and Brian Brignac on drums, percussion and background vocals.  Then there are two special guests, who are also long time friends and musical compatriots; Sam Broussard on guitar, and background vocals and then Steve Conn handling keyboards, accordion, and background vocals as well as lead vocal on “The One and Only Truth”.  These folks some grew up in the same area of Lafayette from when the were kids, and others  have been around so long that they feel as if they grew up together and they have all played together  for so long that there is that tremendous non-verbal communication that is essential for the musical cohesiveness that sets this disc apart.   

One of the major influences in the making of this disc was a phone call from Larry Droppa offering the use of a special API 48 channel 1608 recording console; and the fact that Tony Daigle was available to use it.  Man there were some lucky people in Lafayette, Louisiana for those three days in January of 2017 to be treated to this music.  

   There are a total of 16 songs, 8 done acoustically, and obviously 8 with electric instruments, all come from the pen/mind of Mr. Landreth except for four of them, 2 acoustic and that means 2 done electrically : ‘The One and Only Truth’ that Steve Conn wrote, ‘Bound by the Blues’ written by Sonny and Billy Henderson, then there is ‘Walkin’Blues’ by Robert Johnson, and ‘Key to the Highway’ by Willie Broonzy and Charles Segar.  All recorded and mixed by Tony Daigle and the art work on the cover by Megan Barra, including what to me is the view of Sonny that stands out and captures the image of Sonny Landreth that one hears, in the center is a picture of Sonny playing the guitar that seem to show him with 4 hands playing 2 guitars.  I have some single frames that were shot with no flash in low light that seem to show the same image!  A beautiful piece of work in all ways, but particularly for the auditory senses.  

by bob gottlieb