In 2001, in a rather extra-ordinary way, I ended up playing with a band I had jammed with in my early twenties. During my time with ‘Bright Side of the Blues’, headed up by Paul West, the task of playing lead guitar eventually fell to me. Having always been a singer songwriter, who played solo-gigs without the usual automated band, or an actual physical band, I never really got the chance to ‘make it cry or sing’ ( aka. Sultan’s of Swing ) and so developed a style of playing that allowed me to pound out a beaT-rhythm-fractured-lead-guitar style, while singing a variety of songs.
At some point, I cannot rightly remember when, I ended up being joined on my solo gigs by ‘Andy Dunlop’. Andy seemed to know exactly where I was going with my songs, and could bring in some sizzling hot vocal harmonies, and spontaneous bass lines. ‘Nick Docking’ who was our drummer, also agreed to join Andy and I, and so as a trio I named ‘The Blues Trio’ ( A name I dubbed for my ‘Journey’ page) we played a number of live gigs. We jammed at a tiny pub in Muizenberg (I forget the name) – and had the best jams, I have had before, or since. Occasionally, when Nick could not make a session, my friend and producer-recorder-bass-drum wizard ‘Bruce Taylor’ would jump behind the sticks and play with us.
On the 24th August, 2003, after playing quite a few gigs at New Life Vineyard in Ndabeni, Pinelands (South Africa), a casual recording was done of Andy, Nick and I.
Not really having the proper equipment to get the recording to a place where I could say, ‘Hey, that’s not bad’, I put it to one side When I finally uncovered it, now nearly eight years later, I was stunned at how good it was. But, I still did not have the right equipment to add in a ‘lead’ guitar bit.
Yet, within a few weeks I began working with a sizzling hot guitarist by the name of Bill Seper, who gave me a bit of hardware that did the job perfectly.
I listened carefully to the recording, of some twenty or so songs, and selected “Thirsty” Then I eased back with my Ibanez Blazer, and recorded the second run through. It’s not perfect, but hey I enjoyed doing it, and seeing as I don’t have anything archived by what was probably one of my most joyful performance experiences to date, I am happy to share it with you in it’s existing state.
“Thirsty” first appeared on “Devil’s Island” (2005), and was also included on my USA recording in Los Angeles of “Peace Dove” (2007), with some sizzling hot soprano saxaphone, by Lance Abair.
Peace,
Eric J. Sawyer
