(Photo courtesy of Raphaël Perez)Time to dig out the Lucky Peterson albums, a couple of which I bought ahead of his Sage Gateshead gig in 2016, and the rest straight afterwards.
It was part of the SummerTyne Americana Festival and somebody suggested it was the gig of the festival so far, before I questioned as to whether it was the gig of Sage Gateshead so far!
He released his first album aged five, having been taken under the wing of legendary songwriter, bass player and key Muddy Waters sideman Willie Dixon.
He appeared on the Tonight Show, the Ed Sullivan Show and What's My Line?
As a teenager, he studied French Horn at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts before playing guitar and keyboards with Etta James, Bobby Bland and Little Milton.
In the nineties he recorded for Alligator and Verve, collaborating with Mavis Staples before moving on to Blue Thumb, Disque Dreyfus and JSP in the new millenium, when he also played with Corey Bell, Larry McCray and his wife Tamara.
During the Sage Gateshead show, he wandered freely among the audience, the irresistible combination of soulful voice and biting rock guitar, before getting behind a real live Hammond Organ. Does it get better than that?
Lucky Peterson died on May 17 aged just 55.
Sadly missed.
Steve T.
1 comment :
A real loss. He was such a generous and talented multi instruments musicians. A real bluesman. We will all miss him.
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