Walter Trout

Even at 60 years old, Walter Trout works his faded blonde Strat like a NASCAR driver handles his car. There are plenty of people who can drive a car and drive one fast, but a NASCAR driver takes the mechanics of driving and turns it into art. The same thing can be said about Walter Trout when it comes to the blues and blues-rock. With a splash of Hendrix, the driving rhythms of Stevie Ray Vaughn and the pure blues soul of the British Invasion era monsters, Trout raises the bar and then some. And yet, he remains relatively little known in his home country.

When asked to explain how to make a music work, Trout responded, “Actually it’s the John Mayall thing of finding musicians that have chemistry, and then play together naturally. A lot of that doesn’t even have to be spoken; it’s just felt among the four of you. It’s definitely instinctual.”

And that really speaks volumes, not just about the blues, but also about music in general. Technical proficiency is vital but there is also an instinctual aspect to it as well. That part of guitar playing that comes not just from the heart but also from the gut; that sense of not just knowing the notes but feeling the notes and then coaxing them along the neck and into the air.
Need proof? Just check out Walter Trout.

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