If there's one thing in life you can't fake, it's true love. For life, for the people you care the most and in the case of a musician, for the art of making and playing music.
It is precisely that same kind of love that has been driving for over half a century a great artist like the American guitarist and singer/songwriter Walter Trout to give all of himself in composing, playing and singing that Blues and Rock music genres that he has been playing for more than half a century, treading stages around the world with a passion, tenacity, determination and class almost impossible to match, in the contemporary world music scene.
At the very respectable age of 72, with 30 albums recorded in his solo career and several gold and platinum records collected through the years, the former Canned Heat and Bluesbreakers member has arrived in the UK capital of London in the wake of the success achieved by one of the most beautiful Blues/Rock albums released in 2022, called Ride, a record where Trout once again proved to be one of the most talented and inspired Blues/Rock guitarists and composers around.
In the beautiful setting, packed with Trout's fans, of the Islington Assembly Hall in London, where as the opening act of what then proved to be an unforgettable evening of music, another excellent American Blues/Rock guitarist like Alastair Green performed solo on stage in acoustic format and demonstrating all his remarkable artistic skills, Trout arrives on stage at 9pm sharp, accompanied by his band, which includes, among very gifted musicians, the very talented bassist Johnny Griparic and, for years now, a very classy additional guitarist and additional vocalist on stage who also acts as his Tour Manager, when Trout tours around Europe, that is Andrew Elt.
In the 90 plus minutes of Blues and Rock played and sung superbly on stage by the old American lion, the London crowd was able to appreciate once more the innate talent, grit and desire to play and entertain of an artist like Trout whose guitar skill is matched beautifully by truly impressive vocal power, taking into consideration the very heavy health tolls that Trout has had to go through in life, especially in the last decade.
In a setlist that has seen, in addition to some songs from Trout's last album Ride, such as the title track of the album itself and very solid live performances of songs such as Ghosts, I Worry Too Much and that splendid ballad that is Follow You Back Home, the guitarist from New Jersey was also joined on stage, during the performances of We're All In This Together and Gonna Hurt Like Hell by illustrious guests, such as the young and talented English harmonica player Will Wilde and Alastair Green himself, with rather remarkable results.
Trout's unmissable tribute to his greatest Blues muse, the unforgettable B.B.King, comes through the notes of Say Goodbye To The Blues, an absolute compositional and musical pearl of the incredible artist that is Walter Trout.
While the notes of the equally touching Red Sun accompany the audience towards the end of this extraordinary concert, the American artist salutes his many fans by warmly thanking them, with the promise that he will return very soon to play in a place in the world like the United Kingdom that adores unconditionally an artist and a human being whose love of Blues, Rock, his family and life in general resonates powerfully through his voice and guitar talent every night. Just as he did tonight, on this very special night of music.
