I’ve waxed lyrical about Sonny Landreth on these pages before, so I’m delighted that he has finally decided to release a live album (and a double) for the first time in twelve long years. In that time, Sonny has released a number of albums including the stunning ‘From the reach’ and, most recently, the elegantly soulful ‘bound by the blues’, the latter a highlight of 2015. A truly unique artist, Sonny’s unconventional slide technique has received praise from fans and contemporaries (including Eric Clapton) alike and justifiably so, but what really makes Sonny stand out is the way he utilises that technique, not for technique’s sake, but to serve the needs of a given song, and it’s that quality that makes his music, and his live performances in particular, so very special.
‘Recorded Live in Lafayette’ captures Sonny playing both acoustic and electric with one disc dedicated to each. Disc one finds Sonny in laid-back mode, his deft slide work rendered with the rich mahogany timbre of an acoustic guitar. The songs are perfectly suited to such an approach and ‘Blues attack’ opens things with a sweet shuffle that gets the feet tapping from the get go. Sonny’s voice, an attribute that rarely gets the praise it deserves, is full of soul and, as he leads the band into ‘from the reach’ highlight ‘Hell at home’, it is already apparent that this is a very special release indeed. It’s not just Sonny, of course, and his band bring something of their own to these brilliant new arrangements. With Dave Ranson on Ukulele bass, Brian Brignac on Cajon, Steve Conn on Accordion and Sam Broussard on acoustic, a whole new sonic plateau is unveiled upon which Sonny roams at will and the result is an album that maintains that blues core whilst exploring all sorts of other possibilities at the same time. A cover appears next in the form of ‘Key to the highway’, a song that (you would be forgiven for imagining) has been so well travelled, it’s hard to believe that anything new could be drawn out of it. However, Sonny, who considers the song a personal theme tune, and his band manage to put their own spin on the track and, over the course of seven short minutes, the listener is transported away from the mundanity of the every-day world and given a glimpse of blues history evolving in front of their very ears. Another track with a taut beat and barely repressed nervous energy, ‘Creole angel’ has a country feel that recalls Vince Gill, and Steve revels in an accordion solo that only serves to make the song even lighter on its feet. It’s great to hear the excitable audience, too, as they cheer each of the solos and they are just loud enough in the mix that they add atmosphere without drowning out the musicians on stage. A more emotive track, ‘a world away’ seems about an inch away from heart break as Sonny’s voice cracks and the use of the accordion seems to underscore the French culture that lies deep in heart of New Orleans, adding an airier touch to the swampier guitar riffs. A song with a nostalgic edge, ‘the high side’ has a chorus to die for and a gentle country edge nestled in amidst the slide work. It’s a great song, but even better is the title track of Sonny’s last album. A shuffling delight on record, the acoustic version is, arguably, the definitive rendering of the track and it segues nicely into the nimble ‘U.S.S. Zydecoldsmobile’, which ends the set on a whimsical note. In all honesty, I hadn’t expected such beautifully rendered re-imaginings of Sonny’s material and the acoustic set is nothing short of brilliant from start to finish.
Disc 2 sees the band plug in for an electric set and it’s clear right from the storming ‘back to Bayou Teche’, that this is going to have a very different vibe. The song, clocking in at just over seven minutes, is scintillating, allowing Sonny plenty of time to indulge his gloriously liquid slide work whilst the band shine as they keep pace alongside him. Reminiscent of the great live Neil Young albums, such as ‘Live rust’ and ‘year of the horse’, in which Neil expanded songs as a vehicle for his transcendent soloing, so Sonny and his band let rip on these songs, transporting the listener into another world. A highlight of Sonny’s live shows ‘the milky way home’ is the first of a trio of instrumentals that allows Sonny’s slide work to do the talking and its gorgeous melody is enough to send shivers down the spine even in the absence of vocals. ‘Brave new girl’ is lighter of touch, focusing more on a soloing style that recalls David Gilmour’s less-is-more philosophy whilst ‘Umbresso’ (a track that purchasers of the Crossroads series of DVDs will know well), is purely electrifying. Drawing a bridge between the acoustic and electric performances on the album, ‘soul salvation’ has a more laid-back feel, not least because Steve’s accordion is more in evidence here, but for those seeking rather more electric thrills, you can’t beat the overdriven tones of ‘Walkin’ blues’ with its upbeat tempo and growling leads. The album finishes with a lengthy ‘the one and only truth’, as perfect a moment of blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll as you’ll hear this side of an Andy Fairweather Low track. It’s a brilliant conclusion to the live set and, like the best blues music, it leaves you feeling uplifted.
Sonny Landreth is an artist to treasure and, on this release, his illustrious back catalogue takes on a new life. The acoustic disc is a wonderful opportunity to hear Sonny’s work re-imagined by a band whose talent leaves little room for boundaries, whilst the electric disc highlights the energy with which Sonny and his band imbue the tracks on stage. Few artists compare to Sonny Landreth; his remarkable technique, his gift with melody and his obvious for the passion for the blues continue to mark him out of one of the great blues men of our time and this live CD serves as a timely reminder of his abilities. A pleasure to review, ‘Live in Lafayette’ is an opportunity to spend nearly two hours in the company of a virtuoso musician whose talent is matched only by his humility – close your eyes, turn it up loud and lose yourself for a while in one of the blues albums of the year. 10
