L.A. BLUES AUTHORITY Vol. III – Hats Off To Stevie Ray (1993) *HQ*
As requested, here’s another terrific album from the L.A. BLUES AUTHORITY project: “Vol. III – Hats Off To Stevie Ray“.
This Volume III “Hats Off To Stevie Ray” is a tribute to one of the all time electric blues guitar greats, Stevie Ray Vaughan. Legendary performers Leslie West, Pat Travers, Rick Derringer, Frank Marino, Ricky Medlocke, Steve Hunter, Jon Butcher plus Craig Erickson, Kevin Russell and Tony Spinner perform smoking renditions of songs written / popularized by the late Texas blues guitarist.
This is easily the best tribute album to Stevie Ray, where the performances are bold, respectful, and high-octane rather than exact note-for-note carbon copies.
All the star lead guitarists also perform the lead vocals: Pat Travers is amazing on Cold Shot, Tony Spinner (known for his collaborations with Toto and Paul Gilbert) adds a wonderful funky touch to Empty Arms, while the unique Frank Marino provide an emotional take on The Things (That) I Used to Do.
And we have here the one and only Rick Derringer on perhaps the best song SRV ever wrote: Pride and Joy. Speaking of legends, Leslie West amazes on Look At Little Sister. The underrated Jon Butcher rocks on Crossfire, while Blackfoot’s Ricky Medlocke performs a slow, ultra-bluesy version of Texas Flood. And having drums monster Aynsley Dunbar on almost all songs is a plus!
Considered a standout entry in the L.A. BLUES AUTHORITY series, this volume is a must for fans of electric blues and melodic guitar workouts…
