Charismatic guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Brad “Guitar” Wilson is a well-respected player who has toured with the legendary Chicago and opened shows for an array of artist and bands such as Buddy Guy, Cheap Trick and the Marshall Tucker Band. On ‘Brad “Guitar” Wilson’ he pays tribute to the great players of the blues with a mix of covers and original material.
Opening with the Wilson original ‘Ballad of John Lee’, the guitarist perfectly captures the essence and energy of the great John Lee Hooker with this riff heavy tribute to the late great bluesman. Opting for a stripped back approach to the music the majority of the album features a power trio of Wilson alongside bass player Brain Beal and sharing the drums between them, Adam Gust, Peter Wolf and Rod Wilson. Moreover, speaking of Power trios, one of the highlights of the album is an expertly executed cover of Cream’s ‘Tales of Brave Ulysses’. It takes a special player to tackle a classic like that and Wilson does it with aplomb.
Soulful playing with gut feeling and technical expertise is the backbone of standout instrumental ‘Avatar’. Stepping away from the blues the soulful ‘Hang With a Bang’ with its catchy hook is reminiscent of the works of Nile Rodgers and Chic. Once again proving his guitar and vocal skills, the Freddie King cover ‘Someday After a While’ is simply stunning rendition of the classic.
Versatile and soulful guitar playing, great songs and catchy hooks and riffs all go into making ‘Brad “Guitar” Wilson’ an infectious listen and an album that displays the mighty talent that is Brad “Guitar” Wilson.