Sonny Landreth

New frontiers fit nicely atop the boundary breaking career of singer songwriter and slide guitar icon Sonny Landreth. From performing live with Buddy Guy and John Hiattin theaters and arenas around the United States, to post New Orleans Jazz Fest jamming on bayou rhythms with Oteil Burbridge and Johnny Vidacovich, to recording and playing live with ukulele phenom Jake Shimabukuro at The Blue Note in Hawaii, it has been a noteworthy couple of years for the two time Grammy nominee. And those are just his side projects.

One of the things I love about collaborations with other artists is the element of surprise, Landreth says of his continually expanding musical horizons. When the chemistry is there, it is always inspiring to find new twists and turns that up the game creatively.

Landreth tours regularly in a duo with fellow slide guitar ace Cindy Cashdollar as well as with his own electric and acoustic trio. From every edition of Eric Claptons Crossroads Guitar Festival to Winter grass to Camp Cripple Creek for Jim Weiders The Weight Band and beyond, Landreth and his musical partners are always reaching for the unexpected and unexplored. He has twice graced the cover of Guitar Player magazine, and is featured on the lead track of Shemekia Copelands Grammy nominated album Done Come Too Far.

Stretching in different directions, Landreth says, gives you a broader perspective, and I think that impacts every aspect of making music. I know it has helped to make our shows more memorable and more fun for everyone onstage and in the audience too.

Additional notes: Landreth apprenticed with zydeco king Clifton Cheniers Red Hot Louisiana Band and a host of other accomplished roots artists. Eric Clapton says, Sonny Landreth is probably the most underestimated musician on the planet, and also probably one of the most advanced. Landreths innovative guitar techniques have opened doors to new sonic textures and a complex tonal vocabulary. His expressive, ethereal guitar work can be heard on hundreds of recordings from artists ranging from John Mayall to Irma Thomas.