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Walter Trout at The Alley
Walter Trout and Provogue Records / Mascot Label Group will release Survivors Blues globally on January 25. Troutis no ordinary artist and this is no ordinary covers album. From the day he conceived the project to the moment he counted off the first song in the studio, he had a bolder plan for this release. Trout shares. Im riding in my car sometimes, and Ive got a blues station on and heres another band doing Got My Mojo Workin. And theres a little voice in me that says, Does The World need another version of that song? So I came up with an idea. I didnt want to do Stormy Monday or Messin With The Kid. I didnt want to do the Blues greatest hits. I wanted to do old, obscure songs that have hardly been covered. And thats how Survivor Blues started
Over the course of the last several decades, Walter Trout has been a prolific artist. Hes regularly released offerings from the studio, so this moment of offering a covers album is somewhat of a curveball. His 2017 all-star release, Were All In This Together, shows no sign of burning out and continues to receive accolades and sales on a global basis, alongside four awards for Blues Rock Album Of The Year. He reflects, Its really overwhelming. How do I follow that up? Ive always respected guys who went out on a limb, like Neil Young or Bob Dylan. You never know what theyre gonna come out with.
Likewise, long-standing fans have given up trying to second-guess Trouts next move. The tracklisting of Survivor Blues is a window into the 67-year-olds fast-moving backstory, chronicling a five-decade career whose one constant is his deep love of the Blues. Opener Me, My Guitar And The Blues tips a hat to cult hero Jimmy Dawkins, whose records Trout devoured while cutting his teeth as a 60s axeslinger in New Jersey. Natures Disappearing nods to his celebrated 80s tenure in John Mayalls near-mythical Bluesbreakers. In-between, youll find cherished favourites from a lifetimes listening, with songs that caught Trouts ear at key junctures in his journey, from backing up John Lee Hooker in the 70s, to bringing the groove to Canned Heat in the 80s or breaking through as a solo artist in the 90s.
The roll-call of artists might be eclectic, but theres a cohesion to Survivor Blues. From the outset, Trout made it his mission to harness the power and spirit of the originals, while stamping his inimitable musical personality onto each new take. He offers, My idea was to do these songs like me, to arrange them for my band and style - not to just copy the originals note-for-note.
Last September, as recording began at the Los Angeles studio of iconic Doors guitarist Robby Krieger, Trout and long-standing producer Eric Corne shared their vision with the only band who could measure up. The thunder and finesse of drummer Michael Leasure. The muscular groove of bassist Johnny Griparic. The spell-casting fingers of keyboards session god and regular Trout conspirator, Skip Edwards. Id play them the original, remembers Trout, and then Id say, Heres how the song goes, what have you got? Id give these guys a lot of freedom. The record was mostly done live, with us set up in a circle, just to get the feel of us going there together. And you can feel it, yknow?
Walter Trout has a connection to each of these songs selected. He reflects on Chicago Bluesman Jimmy Dawkins never receiving the recognition deserved in covering Survivor Blues. He reveals, The last line Since you left me, All I have left is Me, My Guitar and the Blues is one of the greatest lyrics Ive heard in my life and I start crying just saying it. And my wife thinks its the best thing Ive ever done. Sunnyland Slims Be Careful How You Vote stresses the importance of choosing carefully at the ballot box, without taking sides. Certainly relevant for all members of society. Universal themes are also explored on Otis Rushs defiant It Takes Time and the funk-flavoured groove of Luther Johnsons Woman Dont Lie. With J.B. Lenoirs
Talk To Your Daughter, he recalls, I found this song that Lenoir does all by himself with the guitar, very slowly, almost without even a rhythm. I played the original to the band and said: Now were gonna turn it into Jimi Hendrix. I wanted to use it as a vehicle for the band and for my guitar-playing and vocals. I wanted to belt it out.
Theres rarely been a Trout record without a tip of the hat to Mayall, and here the Brit-blues godfather is represented by Natures Disappearing. He reveals, I was nervous about doing it because its by my mentor and surrogate father. John told me hed read an article about ecology and pollution he put the magazine down at the end and wrote that song in five minutes. Its even more relevant today, with all the environmental regulations being thrown out and national parks being sold off to oil companies.
You dont hear a track like Goin Down To The River every day either, with Mississippi Fred McDowells ancient gem decorated with slide guitar from a very special guest. There was something about the lyric, muses Trout. Yknow, Im going down to the river, Im gonna let the waves and the water wash my trouble down. It tore me up. But the original is very different. I decided to take the verses that spoke to me, and then rearranged the song almost Muddy Waters-esque with that slide lick. Robby Krieger was coming in every day, listening and hanging out, so I said, Id love it if you played on this song. So when I say Play it, Robby thats Robby Krieger from The Doors. We just did that in the studio boom, there you go.
All they needed was a title. And as Trout surveyed his bloodied-but-unbowed cohorts and reflected on a collection of blues songs whose raw power remained undimmed he knew the suggestion of his wife and manager, Marie, couldnt be topped. We started thinking about these enduring songs and the guys playing on the album, he reflects. Mike is in recovery. Johnny almost didnt make it. Skip has had a triple bypass. And I almost didnt make it after my liver disease in 2014. So Marie said to me, Youre a group of survivors. Youve all been through hell and youve come back. These songs are survivors. This album needs to be called Survivor Blues. I just looked at her and said: You got it.
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LocationThe Alley (View)
114 South Park Avenue
Sanford, FL 32771
United States
Categories
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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