By Steve Newton I did the second of my three interviews with British blues great John Mayall back in May of 1990, when he was heading to Vancouver for a show with his band the Bluesbreakers. He was touring to promote his latest album, A Sense of Place, which featured slide-guitar ace Sonny Landreth on … Continue reading That time blues legend John Mayall told me why he handles his own gear and never uses roadies
Tag: Sonny Landreth
Saskatoon rocker Glen Stace got a boost from k.d. lang’s manager to book his Buddha Hotel
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, AUG. 29, 1991 By Steve Newton What makes a young Canadian prairie kid want to rock? Well, in Glen Stace’s case, being the son of a country preacher helped. “I guess it was part of my rebellious phase,” says the 29-year-old Saskatoon native. “I had an older sister who … Continue reading Saskatoon rocker Glen Stace got a boost from k.d. lang’s manager to book his Buddha Hotel
Album review: Sonny Landreth, Outward Bound (1992)
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 10, 1992 By Steve Newton Sometimes when I hear a particularly snazzy slide guitar lick, I get a shiver up my spine, as if that cold piece of glass or metal stroking the strings were making a move up and down my own backbone. It doesn’t happen too … Continue reading Album review: Sonny Landreth, Outward Bound (1992)
Sonny Landreth says he’s sure Johnny Winter will make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day
By Steve Newton In a few hours I'm heading out to see Louisiana slide-guitar ace Sonny Landreth play a gig in Vancouver. If you're a fan of Sonny, you may know that his latest album, Bound By the Blues, features a tribute to one of his musical heroes, Johnny Winter, called "Firebird Blues". You may also … Continue reading Sonny Landreth says he’s sure Johnny Winter will make it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame one day
Sonny Landreth on first hearing Johnny Winter: “Holy shit, man, this is awesome!”
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JAN. 15, 2016 By Steve Newton When Sonny Landreth connects his glass slide to the strings of his Strat, there’s always a good chance a blues-drenched tone will emerge—perhaps blended with zydeco strains befitting the guitarist’s home state of Louisiana. A blues freak since day one, Landreth composed a love letter to … Continue reading Sonny Landreth on first hearing Johnny Winter: “Holy shit, man, this is awesome!”
Sonny Landreth recalls the time Jimi Hendrix had “a bad gig”
By Steve Newton Louisiana slide-guitar legend Sonny Landreth sent me an autographed copy of his latest CD the other day, and man, was I happy to get that. And not just for the John Henry--the music's wicked, too! On the album's title track, Bound By the Blues, Landreth pays lyrical homage to some of his musical … Continue reading Sonny Landreth recalls the time Jimi Hendrix had “a bad gig”
Sonny Landreth ranks Johnny Winter with Clapton and Beck
By Steve Newton I called Louisiana slide guitar-ace Sonny Landreth up at his home in Lafayette yesterday and we chatted for a while, mainly about his latest album, Bound By the Blues, which he'll showcase tunes from in Vancouver on January 17. The album, his ninth studio release, is a paeon to the blues and his … Continue reading Sonny Landreth ranks Johnny Winter with Clapton and Beck
Newt’s Top 10 albums of 1992
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, DEC. 1992 By Steve Newton I was really hoping that I’d be able to praise 1992 as the year that rap “music” finally dried up and blew away, but the music industry’s lucrative plot to make recording “artists” out of low-talent bozos grows stronger by the day. Fortunately, there … Continue reading Newt’s Top 10 albums of 1992
John Mayall recruits slide wizard Sonny Landreth for A Sense of Place, okays Eric Clapton sitting in
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JUNE 7, 1990 By Steve Newton When legendary bluesman John Mayall gets rolling on stage, he cuts right down to the roots of the blues. There’s nothing fancy about his approach to the music; with the help of his Bluesbreakers, he delivers it in all its raw and primitive … Continue reading John Mayall recruits slide wizard Sonny Landreth for A Sense of Place, okays Eric Clapton sitting in
Talking Ry Cooder, Ronnie Montrose, and the Allmans with Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 12, 1998 By Steve Newton Bluesman Luther Allison, folk-pop troubadour Jeff Buckley, fingerstyle-guitar innovator Michael Hedges, and jazz drummer Tony Williams might seem unlikely heroes for a southern-rock band, but they’re who Gov’t Mule’s new CD, Dose, is dedicated to. Between the time the band started recording Dose and the deadline … Continue reading Talking Ry Cooder, Ronnie Montrose, and the Allmans with Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes
Rivers run deep on slide wizard Sonny Landreth’s South of I-10
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON APRIL 13, 1995 By Steve Newton Unless you’re a devoted follower of critically acclaimed slide guitarists—or the type of music fan that analyzes the musician credits on CD liner notes—you might not have heard of Louisiana singer-songwriter-guitarist Sonny Landreth. He’s been around for a long time, though, and he’s even been up … Continue reading Rivers run deep on slide wizard Sonny Landreth’s South of I-10
Rockers say the darndest things: top quotes of 2013
Dave Wyndorf (above) "probably would have made more money." I interviewed quite a few rockers last year. Here's some of the things they said. "To me stoner rock is just non-commercial rock that pulls from every great era... And as far as the stoner element, I mean, yeah, it’s always cool to smoke pot.” --Brant Bjork … Continue reading Rockers say the darndest things: top quotes of 2013
Sonny Landreth hoped some of Albert King’s cosmic dust would rub off on him
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON NOV. 25, 2004 By Steve Newton Unless you're an avid follower of guitar players--and slide-guitar specialists, in particular--you may not have heard of Sonny Landreth. According to Eric Clapton, he is "probably the most underestimated musician on the planet". But that didn't stop Landreth from earning a Grammy nomination for his 2003 … Continue reading Sonny Landreth hoped some of Albert King’s cosmic dust would rub off on him