There was much debate around the table as this new Buddy Guy disc was playing about whether there had ever been a more apt album title than this one: Born To Play Guitar.
Some of the people sitting there had been hearing this man play since his early days in Chicago in, to the best of their memory, 1965 with Junior Wells. His playing has gotten better and better with each passing segment of time, and this disc strips away all pretense, and lays his soul out, stripped naked for all to see. And there were absolutely no complaints about his singing, each and everyone around the table agreed that this was the most patient, soul exposing/bearing singing he has ever done. This man is 79 and there are certain advantages that aging gives you, the main being experience, and also how to draw the best out of what you have; however there are drawbacks to this aging and it is mainly in the battering you have absorbed in learning these rough life lessons, and believe me your body sometimes feels every nuance of the battering this learning inflicts upon the body.
This step up in intensity wasn’t just confined to him either, the spirit was contagious and infected the band and all the guests he had on this gem, including the writers. The songs are mostly written by Tom Hambridge, who also produced the disc and played drums and percussion, and various co-writers such as Gary Nicholson and Richard Fleming and of course Buddy Guy. Give a listen to his duet he does with Joss Stone, he brings a a new depth to her singing; the great guitar interplay with Billy Gibbons on “Wear You Out.” Then there is the addition of Kim Wilson’s powerful harp playing on 2 cuts. And each one of us could feel the depth of emotion that went into “Flesh & Bone,” a Tom Hambridge/Gary Nicholson penned tune that is a duet sung with Van Morrison that is dedicated to B.B.King that just gathers up all the emotion into one final statement that is echoed in some of the most soulful singing these two have ever put on record; backed up by Buddy’s tearing, ripping guitar work and the McCray Sisters backing vocals. The album finishes off with a beautiful tribute to Muddy Waters and what he meant to these musicians.
This is one of the most heartfelt, soulful, and authentically emotional disc that has crossed this desk in a very long time. Something that was probably difficult to make because of the emotion involved but at the same time expresses the joy that these people felt had to be expressed at this time. I generally leave me out of revues but I am glad that they made this one, it is easily the most authentically emotional disc to be heard in quite a large number of years. It is true Blues with all the sorrow and happiness that involves.
By Bob Gottlieb
