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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Chris Whitley, RIP
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OK, so you probably won't see that many people blogging this, but I stumbled on his obit earlier in a discussion about dobro/national steel guitar players. The beeb has a little bit too. It seems he died on sunday, five weeks after a lung cancer diagnosis.
I think I came to hear him first on a Shawn Colvin track - the astonishingly sexy 'Set The Prairie On Fire', from 'Fat City', which he underscores with an incredibly evocative slide part. Since then he's been one of those session musicians that weaves his way through my slightly odd music tastes, who I always meant to follow up on. As a guitarist wannabe (I never have learned to play slide), he's one of those minor heroes, and I find myself a little gutted. As he was also a busker's busker, I suspect a few guitarists will be playing 'Dirt Floor' on american street corners in the next few weeks.
posted by Michael at 11/23/2005 06:17:00 PM |
2 Comments:
Molly said...
His passing is a shame, but at least we'll be able to enjoy one more of his records. His last album (Reiter In) is coming out later this month. I payed a lot for an import, but you can hear some of it on www.redparlor.com It's amazing, definitely one of his best. It's too bad it will be his last record, but at least Chris was able to accomplish a lot while he was here.
Michael said...
Cool, I'll have to listen.
I'll also have to do the same for the new album of the other lately departed musical hero of mine, Ali Farka Toure... I wish people would stop dying.