I’ve already gushed about how amazing Buddy Guy was, and what my discovery of his music meant to me. There was the first time I saw Buddy Guy, playing a major blues festival headlined by Bonnie Raitt during her super-hot minute, and then there was a year (there may have been two or three) when Buddy Guy was playing nearby so often we called it The Year of Buddy Guy.
Now, I had picked up Buddy’s career in the ’90s, when he was perhaps the middle-aged statesman of the blues, and the older generation was somewhat still around. And I loved those CDs he put out in the ’90s, but I never had the opportunity to hear any of the stuff he had done earlier. I didn’t know about “Chicago / The Blues / Today!” I didn’t know about “Blues Jam in Chicago,” with Fleetwood Mac and the whole Chess Records crew. I hadn’t read the credits to recognize his guitar work on Little Walter’s “Dead Presidents” or Howlin’ Wolf’s “Hidden Charms.” Who is unleashing those absolutely insane licks on Koko Taylor’s “Insane Asylum”? Buddy Guy, of damn course.
On the last day of 2021, I stopped in to my friend’s record store, then open just two months, for a final chat of the year and a couple of records for the new year, and this one jumped out at me . . . It’s a 2016 European release from Vinyl Lovers, featuring his early Chess singles and more, from 1958-1963. This is seminal work, and the recordings are quite amazing. He was already just a remarkable guitarist at the time (there’s a reason he was on all those other artists’ work), and I’d love this on its own even if he hadn’t turned into Buddy Guy – but getting to listen to where he started and where he went over the course of 60 years is amazing.
Admittedly, this didn’t get as much play as it might have because of his 2022 release, which blocked nearly everything else from my turntable for a little bit. We’ll get to that.
I got to interview Buddy for Metroland in ’97 before a gig at the Starlite, with John Mayall also on the bill. Buddy was great to talk to, and he put on a great show. And I would also count the opening set by Ernie Williams as the best gig I ever saw him play (and I saw a lot), with his band being fortified by a young keyboard player who was just OUT OF THIS WORLD good. He didn’t last long with Ernie, and I don’t have any idea what, if anything, he did after. But it was one of the best blues shows I’ve ever seen, hands down. Here’s the Buddy interview, if interested:
https://jericsmith.com/1997/07/14/interview-with-buddy-guy-1997/
I haven’t thought about Ernie in a good long while. He was like running water for some years — always there, always playing. Like so many of the blues guys, barely recognized.
Yep!
Or as Ernie would say: Yes, yes, yes . . . .
I did a little research about the keyboard kid. His name was Jason Ladanye, and he started playing with Ernie when he was 15 years old. His career has since moved on in rather fascinating ways . . .
https://cardmagicbyjason.com/
Now that you said it, I definitely remember his name. I guess nimble fingers are nimble fingers?
(I have no idea why your comments keep getting held for approval; it’s supposed to just let you in once I’ve approved one.)
I am guessing it holds them when I include links. That seems to be the only time they get stalled. My website is set that way too.