Roy Buchanan – When A Guitar Plays The Blues – Alligator Records ALCD 4741

Strap in and hold-on tightly, as this amazing nine-cut collection by one of the most extremely esteemed guitarists ever will lead you to auditory spaces you never before could have deemed possible!

An outing dedicated to Jimmy Nolen, himself a guitarist whose unique guitar embellishments can, to this day, still be found on rock recordings, it led a career resurgence for Buchanan when it was released in 1985.  It was his first outing for Alligator Records.

With his Fender Telecaster, Buchanan was a combustible, technically grand, and deeply expressive guitarist, a genius of creating layers of sonic expressions, yet they were always outlays rooted in the varying alleyways of blues moods.

Buchanan was revered among fellow guitarists for his deeply affecting tones, his hallmark brilliant pitches, mesmerizing melodic constructions, stupefying fretwork speed, and specialized originality.

Buchanan was at the forefront of manipulating his guitar strings in tandem with his instrument’s control knobs to produce sounds one would not believe the guitar to be capable of.  His solos could both scorch and conversely be wonderfully harmonious.  His sonic inventions were always fresh, musical sensations without peers, and the masses of fellow musicians and fans who found, and continue to find, his work stunning are innumerable. 

It is in no way a stretch to proffer that contemporary guitar playing would be much different if not for the genius of Buchanan’s musical visions and efforts.

I recall witnessing Buchanan play Mishawaka, Indiana’s Center Street Blues Café in the 1980s, and I can only describe his performance as overwhelmingly astounding and awe-inspiring.

With Criss Johnson on rhythm guitar, Larry Exum on bass, Morris Jennings on drums, Steele Seals on tenor saxophone, and both vocalists Gloria Hardiman and Otis Clay each assisting on one selection each, Buchanan’s guitar magic, novel songs, and half-spoken/half-sung vocalisms rise to amaze, even all these years later.

Below are the running tracks of this awe-inspiring collection. 

Song Titles

• When A Guitar Plays The Blues
• Chicago Smokeshop
• Pressure
• A Nickel And A Nail
• Short Fuse
• Why Don’t You Want Me?
• Country Boy
• Sneaking Godzilla Through The Alley
• Hawaiian Punch

Highly recommended!