Stevie Ray Vaughn and Friends: Solos, Sessions and Encores

I have always been of the mind that one of the more despicable things that record companies can do is the near constant release of "rare" and "unreleased" tracks from their vaults for years after an artist passes away. It smacks of pure greed and the act of wringing the last possible dollar out of an artist regardless of the content of the release. It seems most prevalent when the artist in question was relatively young and on the upswing of their career with miles ahead of them. So often what you end up with is a few alternate takes of some of their more famous tracks, material that was never meant for public consumption or simple idle studio chatter. Quite possibly of some value to the avid collector but to the general music buying public, well, not so much.

Frankly, I was more than ready to take this latest SRV release the same way; as something disappointing and meant only to separate the CD buying consumer from his dollar. But I was more than pleasantly surprised by what was found on the disc. This CD is geared more towards showing Stevie as a sideman and session guitarist rather than the headliner, but even as a sideman, it's near impossible to hear that thick, thundering sound and not know precisely who is playing it.

The disc starts with a recording of "The Sky Is Crying" from a live concert video "B.B. King and Friends: A Night of Blistering Blues". Stevie is sharing a stage with a band that could be a blues primer – guitarists B.B. and Albert King and Paul Butterfield on the harmonica. They then set about practically burning down the house with some of the finest example of a blues guitar feeding frenzy ever caught on tape.

The second track is from a Nashville session with blues pianist extraordinaire Marcia Ball playing "Soulful Dress". This is Marcia's song but Stevie makes his presence felt as he lays down serious and "soulful" leads for Ms. Ball. The third track shows Stevie working with blues and rhythm ace, the late Johnny Copeland, for some down-home Texas Twister style blues work on "Don't stop by the creek, son".

The disc slides into saxophonist A.C. Reeds funky instrumental "Miami Strut". This track has a terrific downtown sound that on the surface has the makings of an odd coupling. Reed, a side player to the late great Albert Collins nails the "strut" in the piece with a wildly rhythmic beat and Vaughn lays in an equally funkified blues lead that plays along side the sax work. "Na Na Ne Na Nay" is a great follow up to "Miami Strut" and puts Stevie wielding his Strat behind Bill Carter in a almost popish ( notice I said almost), sock-hop sort of drive with the sax playing the melody with Stevie riding along side punctuating the beat as only he could.

The next track was what I would consider the big "get" from this particular release; Stevie Ray Vaughn playing "Going Down" with Jeff Beck at the CBS Records Convention in Hawaii in 1984. Beck had been one of Stevie's true guitar hero's and the track reflects that Stevie picked up a great deal from Beck. It's difficult not to be awed listening to a pair of virtuoso's drawing the crowd to their feet, capably trading licks and burning the song in a way that you've not likely to ever have heard before or since. The next track is the most poorly recorded on the entire disk, pairing Lonnie Mack and Stevie on a quirky, light-hearted slow burn through the Mack song "Oreo Cookie Blues". At first, I was disappointed at the inclusion of this track. As I noted, the recording quality is poor, practically bootleg in feel, and the song is really one of Mack's least remarkable songs. But after listening to it a few times, it is starting to make more sense. Vaughn's guitar is seamless and pounding and even though it's just a recording, you can almost hear him smiling as he plays through. This song was nothing more than two friends goofing off in front of an audience and even if they were just goofing, they played the song as if they owned it.

The next two tracks were recorded at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1988. "On the Run", recorded with boogie woogie pianist Katie Webster reveals clearly why she was considered The Swamp Boogie Queen. With the exception of one stinging run, Stevie's guitar work is just solid rhythm but it shows his generous spirit in his willingness to play back up to his friends. Recorded the following day at the Jazz Festival is one of the best examples of a blues instrumental that you're ever likely to find on record anywhere. Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert Collins ripping through seven minutes and nine seconds of some of the hardest hitting stomp, boggie and blues in "Alberts Shuffle". Albert Collins, the Master of Telecaster, trading lick for lick with SRV, the man who did as much for the reputation of the Fender Strat as anyone create one of the most smoking examples of the power of great guitar playing. I am surprised that Fender has not grabbed onto this track for marketing as it shows the power and versatility of the Fender line in the hands of true talents.

Following is the recording of SRV and Double Trouble on Saturday Night Live in 1985 playing "Change It" with a little help from Stevie's big brother, Jimmie Vaughn of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. This appearance was in support of his release "Soul to Soul". Nothing new here but the recording is very solid and the band was hitting on all cylinders for both of their musical performances that night.

The disc seems to travel back in time with the next track, "You can have my husband" when Stevie was a member of The Triple Threat Revue with vocalist Lou Ann Barton. This track was one of the Nashville sessions that The Revue recorded in 1978. Although the Revue was primarily a vehicle for Barton, it's clear from this session that although Barton is a very solid singer, the real star of that band was the man with the guitar. At times throughout the track it seems as if SRV is doing his best to be restrained but ready to rip the chains from the wall and let his guitar take center stage.

This is followed by "Texas Flood" with the perfect accompaniment of slide guitarist and blues star Bonnie Raitt which was recorded live in 1985. Raitt's, at times, eerie and almost mournful slide guitar adds another voice to the vocal line, one that lends an appropriate melancholic cry to a swaying slow blues burn like "Texas Flood". This tracks practically drips beer and barbecue sauce.

If you've ever wondered how versatile a blues guitarist can be, the last two tracks on the disc will answer that question for you. Recorded for the soundtrack for "Back To The Beach", SRV does a swipe at "Pipeline", the classic surf guitar track originally done by the Chantay's, with surf guitar king, Dick Dale. Dale had already recorded his part and Stevie came into the studio later to record his track. The result is one of those rare tracks that sounds fresh and blistering each and every time you take a listen. The final track is perhaps the oddest and most out of place on the disc. Bowie's disco infected "Let's Dance" rounds up this collection. And although not even close to the blues that SRV was attached to, it was the track that gave SRV his first real taste of international acclaim. And once you know it's his guitar work, it's practically screams out from the track much like Eddie Van Halen's solo work on Michael Jacksons' "Beat it".

This is a very enjoyable disc for both the hardcore Stevie Ray Vaughn fan and for the blues fan in general. Every track has its moments of great guitar work but even more, it really is a showcase of a man for whom playing was more about music than it was about the spotlight. And in the end, isn't that why we all started playing in the first place?