MGF Reviews Stevie Ray Vaughan & Friends – Solos, Sessions & Encores

Reviews

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Friends – Solos, Sessions & Encores
Sony Legacy (11/6/07)
Rock / Blues

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost 18 years since Stevie Ray Vaughn was killed in a helicopter crash, after a concert on a foggy night in southern Wisconsin. Fortunately, despite his untimely death, he left behind an incredible musical legacy. The new release, Solos, Sessions & Encores, is a dizzying mixture of styles, ranging from blues to pop, all which display Stevie’s remarkable range and adaptability to any style of music.

This collection contains a few classics, along with six previously unreleased gems, which for any Stevie Ray Vaughn fan would be a solid reason to purchase this CD. The whole album consists of tracks where Stevie is either a guest performer or the sideman, offering his six-string magic to some great songs. His performance enhanced every session of which he was a part, as he performed with greats like B.B. King, Johnny Copeland, Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt, David Bowie and his big brother, Jimmie.

The first track is a live, sultry, bluesy duet with B.B. King on “The Sky Is Crying”. Being one of my favorite Stevie Ray Vaughn songs, I’ve heard it many times, but never quite like this. His pairing with the legendary King is just amazing. The introduction to the song states that Stevie is a newcomer, but he proves on this track that he is truly an old soul.

Stevie is a guest artist on a track with blues pianist/vocalist Marcia Ball called “Soulful Dress” and gives a fiery solo performance, displaying one of his special talents. Stevie pairs up with one of his influences, the legendary Jeff Beck, on a masterful live performance of “Goin’ Down”, which was recorded at the CBS Records Convention in Honolulu—a true rare gem, as the two partake in a fantastic five-minute jam session. You can sense the reverence they have for each other as their guitars speak to one another in an eloquent musical dialogue. The very last song on the album was actually the first song to propel Stevie Ray Vaughn’s fame, thanks to a well-known friend. David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” almost seems out of place amid the rest of the album, but it’s only fitting that it is the grand finale to a great compilation of masterful performances. If it weren’t for the blazing solo Stevie played on this track, he may never have become a household name.

Solos, Sessions & Encores showcases Stevie Ray Vaughn’s passion for his music, and a passion for the friends and colleagues that shared that musical vision with him. It’s an excellent mixture of classics and gems that represents an assembly of incredible talent, and is a great portrayal of the many different sounds Stevie could create—everything from swampy New Orleans blues to funky jam sessions to that gritty Texas style. Stevie Ray Vaughn was a jack of all musical trades, but he managed to master them as well.

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