If you are on the lookout for some great blues guitar playing, whether it be throwback blues or blistering blues rock riffs such as I am, then here is another name to throw at you. Chris Dair. I’ve been hearing some phenomenal guitar players lately like Lance Lopez, Dudley Taft, and Chaz DePaolo , just to name a few but Chris ranks right up there with anyone.
The list of legends Chris has played or jammed with is lengthy and includes names like Jimmy Page, Ginger Baker, Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and the great blues player, Bukka White.
This 13 song collection has some seriously amazing guitar work coupled with deep penetrating bass lines.
There is some beautiful violin playing implemented on “See the Stars” that harmonizes very nicely with some flawless acoustic guitar work. It has a bit of a haunting melody that I enjoyed a lot….this song could have been done 50 years ago but somehow seems relevant today as well.
Track 3 is a piece called “Obsession” and it starts out with a flawless electric guitar in the style of Carlos Santana, just absolutely epic playing. “Obsession” is a brilliantly composed instrumental piece with some very clean picking, underneath a fat guitar sound that leads to a very nice mix. The differing styles just melt together. The guitar used on “Obsession” is a PRS Custom Tiger Stripe body with birds inlaid on the neck. I’ve included a photo attached that Chris sent me on Facebook and in his own words, “It’s a very special guitar”.
The title track “Crossroads to Freedom” is an interesting tune. I’m going to go out on a limb here and attach a label to that song, in my mind that is Psychedelic blues. No wonder he lists Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix as two of his influences. The song has an addicting beat that draws you in, while Chris employs the hypnotic powers of delay and echo to keep you there.
Track 5 “Please Don’t Let Me Go” is a very jazzy number that has one foot in the blues and one foot in jazz.
Track 6 features some more traditional blues playing and as he jumps into the next tune, Chris Dair proves again on this CD that he can drift back forth effortlessly between deep southern delta blues and string scorching blues rock. He earns a spot as one of the top players out there. Is that a juice harp I hear on track 11? This guy has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. On “Goldwater Mountain” he rolls out the canvas and paints another instrumental masterpiece, demonstrating his flawless fretwork.
“Crossroads To Freedom” is truly a must have in your music collection.
Track Listing for Crossroads to Freedom
1. No Reason Blues
2. See The Stars
3. Obsession
4. Crossroads To Freedom
5. Please Don’t Let Me Go
6. Never Goin’ Home Blues
7. I Feel The Need
8. Lovin’ You Too Much
9. Last Fall
10. Leavin’ Town Blues
11. Ya Smile At Me
12. Goldwater Mountain
13. Lost In Wasted Time
You can find Chris Dair on the following sites:
iTunes
Amazon.com
YouTube
ReverbNation
Myspace
By Glen Casebeer/Northwest Music Scene
You can find the American Blues Scene at:
American Blues Scene website
Last FM
Myspace
YouTube
ReverbNation
Live Blues World
You can find the Northwest Music Scene at:
Myspace
Youtube
Reverbnation
If you are on the lookout for some great blues guitar playing, whether it be throwback blues or blistering blues rock riffs such as I am, then here is another name to throw at you. Chris Dair. I’ve been hearing some phenomenal guitar players lately like Lance Lopez, Dudley Taft, and Chaz DePaolo , just to name a few but Chris ranks right up there with anyone.The list of legends Chris has played or jammed with is lengthy and includes names like Jimmy Page, Ginger Baker, Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin and the great blues player, Bukka White.
This 13 song collection has some seriously amazing guitar work coupled with deep penetrating bass lines.There is some beautiful violin playing implemented on “See the Stars” that harmonizes very nicely with some flawless acoustic guitar work. It has a bit of a haunting melody that I enjoyed a lot….this song could have been done 50 years ago but somehow seems relevant today as well.
Track 3 is a piece called “Obsession” and it starts out with a flawless electric guitar in the style of Carlos Santana, just absolutely epic playing. “Obsession” is a brilliantly composed instrumental piece with some very clean picking, underneath a fat guitar sound that leads to a very nice mix. The differing styles just melt together. The guitar used on “Obsession” is a PRS Custom Tiger Stripe body with birds inlaid on the neck. I’ve included a photo attached that Chris sent me on Facebook and in his own words, “It’s a very special guitar”.
The title track “Crossroads to Freedom” is an interesting tune. I’m going to go out on a limb here and attach a label to that song, in my mind that is Psychedelic blues. No wonder he lists Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix as two of his influences. The song has an addicting beat that draws you in, while Chris employs the hypnotic powers of delay and echo to keep you there.Track 5 “Please Don’t Let Me Go” is a very jazzy number that has one foot in the blues and one foot in jazz.
Track Listing for Crossroads to Freedom
1. No Reason Blues2. See The Stars3. Obsession4. Crossroads To Freedom5. Please Don’t Let Me Go6. Never Goin’ Home Blues7. I Feel The Need8. Lovin’ You Too Much9. Last Fall10. Leavin’ Town Blues11. Ya Smile At Me12. Goldwater Mountain13. Lost In Wasted Time
You can find Chris Dair on the following sites:iTunesAmazon.comYouTubeReverbNationMyspace
By Glen Casebeer/Northwest Music Scene
You can find the American Blues Scene at:American Blues Scene websiteFacebookTwitterLast FMMyspaceYouTubeReverbNationLive Blues World
You can find the Northwest Music Scene at:FacebookTwitter MyspaceYoutubeReverbnation