Sessions for Robert J / Eric Clapton

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Billy Preston, Chris Stainton, Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Clapton, Nathan East, Robert Johnson, Steve Gadd

Musically speaking, it’s no secret that Eric Clapton’s
first love is the Blues. It’s a form he returns to
repeatedly throughout his long and productive career.
“Sessions for Robert J: Eric Clapton” is a DVD filmed and
released during 2004, under the Warner Reprise Video
label. In this film of about 90 minutes, Clapton (1945 – )
pays tribute to his “main man,” legendary blues man
Robert Johnson (1911-1938), by performing and/or
rehearsing some 14-odd Johnson songs, either alone
in his hotel room or with some top musicians.
Filmed in London, England and in Dallas, Texas, the
in-studio rehearsals feature guitarist Doyle Bramhall II
(1968 – ), drummer Steve Gadd (1945 – ), pianist
Chris Stainton (1944 – ), organist/R&B icon
Billy Preston (1946-2006), and bassist Nathan East
(1955 – ).

Whether on stage or in the studio, Clapton is a generous
team player. Although he may be the biggest “star,”
he never demands the spotlight or attempts to upstage
any of his fellow musicians. In fact, he doesn’t need to,
as his playing speaks for itself.

This disc was an obvious homage to Robert Johnson;
however, I found many of the songs and their
performances to be cut from the same cloth, which
became tiresome after a while. Clapton’s intentions
and the integrity behind his efforts are without question
and I still feel privileged to witness music making
by this icon, who clearly takes the Blues to heart. Truth
be told, I found the Clapton interviews that were placed
between the songs to be more enjoyable than the
performances, as I gained insight regarding his career
and how it has been influenced by Robert Johnson’s music.

The bonus feature was short, consisting of approximately
four to five minutes of “behind the scenes” footage of
this project. This disc is obviously worthwhile for
Clapton fans, especially those wishing to learn about
an aspect of his music that is not regularly publicized.

Joe Bonamassa: Live From the Royal Albert Hall

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Eric Clapton, Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughan

It was nice to finally check out the guitar player
and singer, Joe Bonamassa (1977 – ), and I’m sure that
I could have done worse than the two-DVD set
that I recently watched. “Joe Bonamassa: Live From
the Royal Albert Hall,” was taped and released
during 2009. I’d also seen him in an acoustic setting
approximately one week earlier on the PBS special,
“An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House,”
which was released earlier this year (2013).

While the performance taped at the Vienna Opera
House was definitely worth watching, and showcased
Bonamassa’s abilities along with four of his fellow
musicians, most of the songs performed during the
Royal Albert Hall concert were penned by Bonamassa,
providing a greater variety of music than the Vienna gig.
This was clearly an important event, and the
producers of these DVDs spared no expense in terms
of production values. The running time for the set
was approximately 130 minutes, with a 56-minute
Disc One and a 75-minute Disc Two.

Both DVDs featured brief interview clips, childhood
photos, and a conversation with Bonamassa’s parents.
Bonus features on Disc Two included a 10-minute,
acoustic version of “Woke Up Dreaming,” which
was inexplicably missing from the main concert,
and a 23-minute, tour bus interview with
Bonamassa using his Les Paul guitar and
Marshall practice amp.

Interestingly, Bonamassa used two drummers
during the Royal Albert Hall concert, along with
a keyboardist and a bass guitarist. A horn section
featured players on trombone, tenor saxophone
and trumpet, thereby adding sonic richness. I didn’t
feel that the two drummers were necessary.
I believe that one drummer would have sufficed;
however, they had a good sound. It appeared
that most of their playing was in unison. Obviously,
Bonamassa wanted a “full” drum sound.
The keyboardist and bassist both gave fine
performances, although the bass sound was
somewhat booming and lacking in definition.

At the end of the concert, Bonamassa was joined
onstage by one of his “inspirations,” Eric Clapton,
who played his Stratocaster for their rendition of
“Further on Up the Road,” a 12-bar Blues standard.
Bonamassa and his band also performed a brief
tribute to Led Zeppelin by jamming on a part of
“Dazed and Confused,” with Bonamassa playing
a Gibson Flying V.

There is no doubt that Bonamassa is an exceptional
player; he has played professionally since he was
about 12-years old. He has recorded and played
with many famous musicians, over the past
several years. Although the Les Paul guitar seemed
to be his instrument of choice, he frequently
switched instruments during the concert, and at one
point played the aforementioned Gibson Flying V.
Bonamassa has made a thorough study of the Blues
in its various forms. In fact, even the songs that
weren’t “out and out” Blues numbers appeared to
be inflected by Blues stylings. I’d describe his
playing and compositions as “Blues for the Masses,”
in that they seem to be geared toward reaching
a broad audience, in contrast with the more
uncompromising Blues stylings of Stevie Ray Vaughan
(1954-1990). Of course, Vaughan did what he
did very well!

Bonamassa is no less a master in his own right,
and plays like someone who loves his instrument(s).
For me, the most impressive demonstrations of his
abilities occurred during the aforementioned bonus
disc interview, wherein he illustrated various points
with amazing licks and passages on his Les Paul
guitar, at a low volume. He has an awesome technique!

This was a generous concert, which I’m sure left
the audience quite satisfied. It was a first-class
production, which I can truly recommend. Personally,
I’d like to see Bonamassa perform under less
“crowd-pleasing” circumstances, which aren’t
obviously rehearsed “to a T.” How about a
performance in a more intimate venue with
just a bass and drums? In other words, with
him playing with a greater sense of risk alongside
equally talented players? Now, THAT I’d like to see!

Nevertheless, this is a fine DVD set, and I’ll make
an effort to follow the career of this talented
player. By the way, his singing isn’t bad, either!

George Benson: The Art of Jazz Guitar

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B. B. King, Eric Clapton, Fats Waller, George Benson, Wes Montgomery

“George Benson: The Art of Jazz Guitar” is the latest
installment I’ve seen in Arlen Roth’s “Hot Licks” series.
This 68-minute DVD was probably shot in the mid-to-late 1990’s,
and released in 2006. It differs from the other “Hot Licks” DVDs
that I’ve watched in that it was filmed in Benson’s home in
New Jersey. This provided an ideal setting, allowing Benson
to be completely at ease while discussing the guitar techniques
for which he has justly become famous. He also provided copious
demonstrations of amazing chordal technique and other
virtuoso elements, such as “rattling” the notes using three fingers.
Later, he showed how to obtain the same results with a pick.
He was the first to use a pick for this technique, and said that
pianist Fats Waller had been his inspiration. Fortunately, he was
able to observe Waller play, and later watched and conversed
with another Jazz great, Wes Montgomery.

In fact, Benson makes no bones about stating that he’s
borrowed all sorts of ideas from many musicians. He said that
if you’re concerned about playing something no one has ever
heard before, it’s time to hang up the guitar! Benson believes
that it is most important to play from your heart, and that your
unique qualities will shine through. Of course, in his case, it didn’t
hurt that he began as a talented prodigy, and made his first
record at age 10. By the time this film was shot, Benson had
become a Jazz master, having already won eight Grammy awards.

While I watched him play some of his “licks” on this DVD, I was
struck by his thorough knowledge of sophisticated Jazz chords,
as well as his ability to play them at lightning speed. The use of
a split-screen film technique was a real plus here, because it
was essential to see both his left and right hands. I also loved
listening to his various anecdotes, such as hearing that one of his
favorite guitarists, B. B. King, cite Eric Clapton and George Benson
as HIS favorite guitarists!

Clearly, Benson has drawn from a huge array of Jazz and Blues
greats, and developed a playing style that is recognizable as his
own. He also discussed his first forays into singing publicly, and
he “scats” a bit here, while playing. As a teacher, he comes across
as very humble and “down home,” and someone who would
set any fortunate student at ease. He may be encouraging
to prospective guitarists, but I personally found his
demonstrations to be a bit intimidating, and I’m not a guitarist!

The usual “Hot Licks” bonus features were included here, such
as a printed artist biography, discography, listening
recommendations, and about 24 transcribed playing examples
with slow-motion options. This DVD of a truly awesome guitarist
should not be missed.

Classic Albums: Cream – Disraeli Gears

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Cream, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce

Cream’s second album, “Disraeli Gears,” was released in 1967.
It was their first hit album, and the subject of yet another
Classic Albums DVD release from Eagle Rock Entertainment.

As always, the events preceding the recording of this album are
discussed, including the years before the formation of Cream
in mid 1966. I think it’s right that Cream is considered to be the
first “supergroup.” By that time, both Jack Bruce (1943 – ) and
Ginger Baker (1939 – ) had formidable reputations as Jazz
musicians, having played with groups such as the Graham Bond
Organisation and Alexis Korner (1928-1984), sometimes with
each other. At the time Cream was formed, Jack Bruce was also a
classically trained cellist. Eric Clapton (1945 – )was even more
famous as a Blues guitarist, having played with both the
Yardbirds and John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers.

The formation of Cream forged a unique type of music, combining
Blues with improvisational Jazz. They also played it louder than
anyone was used to hearing, and their “live” sets included long
extended jams, showcasing their collective skills.

In the recording studio, they liked to also experiment with
more psychedelic and Pop musical styles, which were common
in the Zeitgeist of the mid to late 1960’s Rock scene. This was
certainly true of their first album, “Fresh Cream,” released at
the end of 1966, as well as “Disraeli Gears,” which was their
first record for Atlantic, and their first experience with the best
that American recording technology had to offer.

Circa 2005, Cream’s experiences in America are discussed in
detail on this DVD, both by the band members themselves,
Atlantic Records founder, Ahmet Ertegun (1923-2006), and
lyricist Pete Brown (1940 – ). There were also discussions
of legendary recording engineer Tom Dowd (1925-2002) and
bassist Felix Pappalardi (1939-1983) who acted as a producer
for Cream and would later play in the band Mountain.

Every song on “Disraeli Gears” was featured, along with a lot
of anecdotal information in some cases. It was interesting to
hear Eric Clapton cite the influence of The Byrds, referring to
“Dance the Night Away” as a sort of “Byrd’s tribute.” A
particularly captivating anecdote was the story of the
conception of “Sunshine of Your Love,” with Jack Bruce
illustrating the famous riff that began with him improvising on
the double bass. Eric Clapton then described playing the riff at
the octave and adding essential harmonies. As with all of the
DVDs in the Classic Albums series, it’s the “fleshing out” process
of the songs that makes these films so important and informative.

Interspersed throughout this 48-minute film were scenes from
the 1960’s and performance film clips of Cream, with a lot of
footage from their farewell concert at Albert Hall in 1968. A clip
was also shown from their 2005 reunion, held at the same venue.

Roughly 33 minutes of bonus material include Eric Clapton playing
acoustic versions of “Sunshine of Your Love” and “Outside
Woman Blues,” as well as Jack Bruce accompanying himself on
the piano, while singing “We’re Going Wrong.” As you can
imagine, his voice has changed over the years. Ginger Baker
also provides a drumming demonstration.

The real “find” on this disc is the color filmed footage of
“Tales of Brave Ulysses,” performed by Cream at a club gig
during 1968, as well as a “live” black and white version of
“We’re Going Wrong,” from a different date. Priceless!

For a band that was only together for approximately two
years and four months, Cream casts a giant shadow that is
felt and discussed to this day. How many other short-lived
bands could make such a claim?

This DVD was released in 2006, and goes a long way toward
showing why Cream was so special. I consider it to be
essential viewing.

Eric Clapton: Live at Montreux, 1986

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Eric Clapton, Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East, Phil Collins

“Eric Clapton: Live at Montreux, 1986″ is another concert in
this large DVD series, released under the Eagle Eye Media
label. I’ve seen several of these concerts now, and I like the
intimate ambience of these festivals. The stage isn’t large,
the audiences aren’t huge and the emphasis is on the music,
instead of a huge spectacle. I find this “informal” atmosphere
very appealing.

That said, this concert has a fun, relaxed “vibe.” The set of
roughly one hour and 51 minutes consists of 16 total songs,
two of which are encores. The program is a mixture of tunes
from Eric Clapton’s days with Cream, along with his current hits,
circa 1986. These new songs, such as “I Wanna Make Love to
You,” and “Miss You,” are interspersed with well-known hits,
including “Crossroads,” “White Room,” “Cocaine,” and “Layla.”
The primary emphasis is on the older favorites.

Clapton’s band at this time consisted of drummer/singer
Phil Collins, bassist Nathan East, and Greg Phillinganes on
keyboards. With this roster, all of the songs take on an “80’s”
sound, with mixed results. First of all, I must say that Clapton’s
bandmates are all VERY solid musicians, and he gives them
ample opportunities to shine. However, “keyboard-heavy”
renditions of songs like “Sunshine of Your Love” took some
getting used to, on my part. I realize that these are my
preferences. Given the mood of the concert and the
performance circumstances, I suppose that I couldn’t expect
much else.

Whether in the studio or on stage, Eric Clapton has never
desired to be the “star” of the show. He has always struck
me as a generous collaborator who is willing to share the
spotlight. For him, it’s all about the music and what’s best
for the song, instead of showing off his considerable guitar
chops! Since his days with Cream, I’ve been impressed with
his abilities as a singer and songwriter. An example of Clapton’s
“team spirit” approach during this concert included a Phil
Collins performance of his own hit, “In the Air Tonight,”while
Clapton merely played the required backing chords. In another
number, Greg Phillinganes took the spotlight with his hand-held
keyboard and lead vocals. As I’ve said before, Clapton is a
great collaborator!

Nevertheless, while performing “Same Old Blues,” Clapton
displays his skills with taste and feeling that is his and his
alone, and nobody does it better. Although he has stylistically
reinvented himself many times over the years, in my opinion,
he’s still at his best when he “cuts loose,” and plays the Blues.
This concert provides a snapshot of where he was musically
during the summer of 1986, and all things considered, it wasn’t
such a bad place to be!

The video quality wasn’t the greatest on this DVD, and seemed
a bit cloudy to me. However, this did not pose a major problem.
While the sound mixing could have been better, I’ve certainly
heard a lot worse. Overall, this was an enjoyable show in the
“popular” vein, minus the dangerous element that can result
in exciting music making. Clapton’s days with Cream are long
behind him, but for me, he will still be an artist who is
worth following.

Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2010

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Eric Clapton

Today, we finished “Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2010,”
the third DVD set in the “Crossroads” series by Eric Clapton and
friends. As with the other two festivals held in 2004 and 2007, the
proceeds from this Chicago event were donated to the Crossroads
Center Antigua, an addiction recovery facility in the West Indies
founded by Eric Clapton.

There were many returning performers featured at this festival which
was again hosted by comedian/actor Bill Murray. In my opinion,
sometimes he tried too hard to be funny. Although the emphasis was
on blues music, a notable exception was Jeff Beck’s interesting and
effective rendition of “Nessun Dorma,” from Puccini’s opera, “Turandot.”
Once again, this was proof of Beck’s continued mastery of tone and
innovative guitar playing.

As with the earlier two festivals, Eric Clapton played on a number of
sets, joined by colleagues such as Steve Winwood, B.B. King
and numerous others. The members of ZZ Top and Los Lobos were
also present.

“Eric Clapton: Crossroads Guitar Festival, 2010,” is a two-DVD set
that is slightly less than four and one-half hours of footage. There
are no extras or bonus features included in this set. All in all, this
is another successful installment in the series, although I’d like to
see an even broader range of guitarists at future “Crossroads”
festivals.

Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden

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Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood

Today, we finished viewing “Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from
Madison Square Garden,” a two-DVD set chronicling their concert given
in February 2008.

The concert consisted of songs pulled from each of their solo careers, as
well as songs from Blind Faith, Traffic, and a couple of Hendrix songs.
The performances were inspired, and the band also included Chris Stainton
on keyboards, Willie Weeks on bass and Ian Thomas on drums.

The sound reproduction was quite good, as was the camera work.

Disc two included a very interesting 37-minute interview with Winwood
and Clapton, wherein they each discussed their careers, as well as how
this concert came to fruition.

These discs would be worthwhile additions to your collection.