Homeless Blues from Guitar Red
08/19/2008
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(PR) On July 29, Decatur, Georgia based blues guitarist and singer Guitar Red fulfilled an unexpected lifelong dream with the release of his debut album that truly lives up to its moniker Lightnin' In A Bottle.
As the first release by recently launched Atlanta indie label Backspace Records, the day could have easily called for a dual celebration. But there was no formal fanfare, no scheduled record release party at a big club, no streamers and balloons or packaged performance with a backing band.
Instead, the 44 year-old street musicianreal name, Billy Christian Wallsspent the day doing what he always does around the square of Decatur, strumming his guitar and singing songs of women, drinking and hard times in the raw, unvarnished tradition of real blues. Not those slick modern pop-rock blues of Robert Cray, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal and B.B. Kingno offense meant to those legends at all. But those raw, Robert Johnson blues that can only come from knowing hunger, poverty, heartache, loss, drug and alcohol addiction, not to mention homelessness.
Guitar Red is the real deal, a "busker" who spends most mornings on E. Court Square, sometimes in front of the Brick Store Pub, whose management is kind to him, where he frequently plays for hours. On a good day, he goes to sleep with a pocketful of tips. But not every day is a good day. No matter. For Red, it's all about authenticity, staying true to who he is.
That sort of integrity, not to mention a spirited roller coaster ride of humor and hurt, shines through on the 11 tracks of Lightnin' In A Bottle, which he recorded live (with the exception of a guitar solo and clavinet piece) at Backspace Records studio in December 2007.
His titles chronicle his hard luck, down but not yet out life: "Box Car No. 9," "Ain't Got Nobody But Myself," "Three Legged Dog Blues," "Chain Gang Blues," "Decatur Boy Blues," "Song About A Jimi Hendrix Song" and "I Believe."
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