Buddy Guy

Born to Play Guitar

RCA/Silvertone

Buddy Guy was born in Lettsworth, La. in 1936.

He made his first guitar, a two-string diddley bow, before obtaining an acoustic Harmony. In the early 1950’s Guy began performing with bands in Baton Rouge. By ‘57 he had relocated to Chicago. In 1965 and 1966 Guy recorded sessions with Junior Wells for both Delmark and Vanguard Records.

Guy’s first solo recording was 1967’s “Left My Blues in San Francisco” on Chess Records. Guy was a big influence on Eric Clapton and in 1972 Clapton co-produced, with Ahmet Ertegan and Tom Dowd, “Buddy Guy and Junior Wells Play The Blues” on Atlantic Records. The album is still regarded as one of the finest electric blues recordings.

Guy has won Grammy’s for 1991’s “Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues”; for 1993’s “Feels Like Rain”; 1994’s “Slippin’ In”; and 2003’s “Blues Singer”. All of these are on Silvertone Records. Guy won a Grammy again in 2010 for the Tom Hambridge produced “Living Proof” on Jive Records. He has approximately 70 recordings overall. In 2015 Guy was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy. Guy also holds 34 Blues Music Awards; more than any other artist.

Now 79 years old Guy has just released“Born to Play Guitar”. Guy has co-written five songs with producer Tom Hambridge; two of them also with Nashville based songwriter Gary Nicholson. Hambridge has also written or co-written six other songs; four with his regular writing partner Richard Fleming. There are also two covers and tributes to both Muddy Waters and B.B. King.

The band consists of Guy, various guitars and vocals; Rob McNelly, second guitar; Kevin McKendree, piano; Hambridge, drums; and bassists Glenn Worf, Michael Rhodes or Tommy MacDonald.

The title track “Born to Play Guitar” is the glue that holds this project together as it is about the life of Guy. “Wear You Out” is a vocal duet with Guy and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Doyle Bramhall II sits in on guitar on “Whiskey Beer and Wine”; on “Crying Out of One Eye” and on the closing tribute “Come Back Muddy”. Kim Wilson plays harmonica on “Kiss Me Quick” and again on a cover of Charles Brown’s “Too Late”. Joss Stone joins Guy for a duet on “Baby, You Got What It Takes”. Van Morrison joins Guy on yet another duet “Flesh and Bone” which is dedicated to B.B. King.

This is another great album from the iconic Guy who remains heir to the title “King of The Blues”. This is a must to own.

Richard Ludmerer