Friday Night Headliner
Jimmie Vaughan revitalizes
classic blues sounds
He learned to play guitar at age 13
(August 2015) – Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan has been described by Guitarist Player Magazine as “a virtual deity-a living legend.” Such is the atmosphere he brings to any concert he performs.
Growing up in Oak Cliff, Texas, south of downtown Dallas, Vaughan’s musical abilities and defining sense of style were obvious from an early age. He was influenced by classic Top 40 radio, vintage blues, early rock ’n roll and jazz.
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Photo provided Texas native Jimmie Vaughan is the older brother of singer Stevie Ray Vaughan. |
“I never got over that stuff, and I never will. That’s the kind of music I like,” he has been quoted as saying.
Vaughan will bring his unique sounds to Madison, Ind., on Aug. 21 when he performs as the Friday night headliner at 10 p.m. during the Blues Bash at the Madison Ribberfest.
While recuperating from a football injury at age 13, a family friend gave Vaughan a guitar to occupy his mind. It was obvious from the beginning that he had natural talent – a quality that would make him admired by many.
Two years later, he started his first band, The Swinging Pendulums, and was soon playing the Dallas nightclub scene. At age 16, he joined the Chessman, the area’s top musical attraction. In 1969 he got the chance to open for The Jimi Hendrix Experience in Fort Worth, Texas.
That same year, Vaughan helped found Texas Storm, a group that performed Top 40 covers for blues and soul with a Texas accent. After hearing Muddy Waters and Freddie King perform in Dallas, he began to delve deeper into the blues. What emerged was his own highly recognizable style.
The mid-1970s found him establishing The Fabulous Thunderbirds with Kim Wilson. The band jammed with such blues greats as Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Albert King and many others.
Vaughan, 64, went on to record eight albums with The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The band is credited with bringing the blues back into the pop charts and sparking a blues revival still prevalent today.
Also known as the older brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie released his first solo album in 1994. Vaughan has since earned the esteem of legendary guitar playing heroes and peers, becoming a well-established and highly sought after performer in his own right.
“We’ve been talking about adding him for eight years,” said Rick Burris, who is part of the Blues Bash committee that selects the musical lineup each year. “We never had a fit for him – a place to put him into until now. We thought he’d be better this year with the bands we’ve got.”
One of the things Burris really likes about Vaughan is that he is bringing Lou Ann Barton with him. “She’s a large name herself,” said Burris. “It’s a nice package to get.”
Twenty-two years ago, Eric Clapton invited Vaughan to open a series of 16 special concepts at London’s Royal Albert Hall. After the warm reception he received, he decided to record his first solo album, “Strange Pleasure.” It featured 11 songs written or co-written by Vaughan. He followed this solo effort with “Out There” in 1998.
His third solo release, “Do You Get The Blues?” was a rich masterpiece of 21st century rhythm and blues released in 2001. His lyrical guitar work reverberates throughout the album, which includes an acoustic slide track that is a tribute to his friend and mentor, Muddy Waters.
Vaughan has said of the album, “I wanted to make a romantic blues album. I was listening to a lot of Sarah Vaughan and a lot of jazz. So I wanted to put my dirty blues guitar and the romantic feelings and the ins and outs of love together on one album.”
Over the years, Vaughan has developed his own easily recognizable personal style. His last release was 2011’s “Jimmie Vaughan – Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites.”
“I’ve been playing since I was 13. I play every day. I’ve never stopped. I can’t imagine that I could exist without it,” said Vaughan.
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Photo provided Walter “Wolfman” Washington plays at 8 p.m. Friday, preceding headliner Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirls. |
Before Vaughan takes the stage, he will be preceded by Walter “Wolfman” Washington, who takes the stage at 8 p.m. For the past several decades, Washington has been an icon on the New Orleans music scene.
He began his career during the heyday of the 1950s rhythm and blues period, in which greats such as Ray Charles and Little Richard emerged. By his late teens, Washington had spent two years backing vocalist Lee Dorsey, who had such hits as “Working in a Coalmine.”
Of that time he said, “Lee was one of the cats who gave me my first gig. I started out mostly playing the blues with Lee, but now I incorporate more jazz and funk.”
During the 1970s, Washington began a 20-year association with his mentor, the late Johnny Adams. The two worked together at clubs in New Orleans, where Washington refined his sound.
Born in New Orleans, he lives up to his nickname, all the while showcasing his masterful guitar skills. “When I was a kid, I sang in the church choir with my mom,” he recalled. “But Johnny Adams showed me how to really use my voice.”
In the late 1970s he formed his own band, The Roadmasters. He released his first solo album in 1981, “Rainin’ In My Life.” Washington, 72, has earned numerous accolades throughout his long career.
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Photo provided The Lionel Young Band has garnered several blues music awards and is scheduled to be the opening act at the Blues Bash at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. Walter “Wolfman” Washington plays at 8 p.m. Friday, preceding headliner Jimmie Vaughan and the Tilt-A-Whirls. |
The Lionel Young Band will kick off the evening performances at 6 p.m. Friday. Their website explains their mission well: “Lionel Young is a high-energy performer with a bent for the blues. Two-time winner at the International Blues Challenge band competition made Lionel Young the first double champion in the 31-year history of the IBC.” His first victory occurred in 2008.
Young began taking violin lessons at age 6 in Rochester, N.Y., with Anastasia Jempelis at the Eastman School of Music. He has worked with such musical greats as Count Basie, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Page, Homer Brown, Linda Ronstadt and Doc Severenson.
His live shows feature original compositions alongside interpretations of blues classics by Willie Dixon, Leadbelly and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Chip Eagle writes in Blues Revue, “If you’re not familiar with Lionel, you’re missing out. What makes Lionel stand out is that when he plays, he owns the room. He’s one of those special performers who’s able to do his own thing while still playing to the crowd.”
Burris said these last two acts are among a few acts performing of whom many people may not have heard. “I’m almost more excited about them. I think they’ll surprise everybody. They’re trying to make a name for themselves. I’m pleased with our lineup.”