Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play the Blues – A review

Eric Clapton’s musical journey continues, this time with jazz giant and musicologist, Wynton Marsalis by his side.

Born out of mutual admiration,Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton Play The Blues is, as Marsalis says merely the orchestration of the feeling generated by their friendship. If the concert is testament to their friendship then there is little doubt as to depth and mutual affection between the two men.

Clapton chose all the songs, apart from Layla, himself with each rendition breathing new life into the old standards and obscure classics. The thunderous opening track Ice Cream leaves all in little doubt the caliber of the musicians that Marsalis had gathered to pay

Amidst such luminaries Clapton takes a few tracks to find his groove and relax into his inimitable slowhand signature style. The relax in tension is also noticeable in his voice by the fourth track the Louis Armstrong classic The Last Time Clapton’s severely underrated voice is at its soulful best.

The entire performance is rooted in the swing and jazz traditions of New Orleans, the opposite end of the Mississippi that has been Clapton’s blues staple for the length of is career, a career that is as long as the Mississippi itself.

Marsalis, in a never ending quest to educate the masses on the importance of music excellence and the irrelevance of branding commercially, culturally or racially, once again succeeds in not only entertaining the audience but also providing a musical master class that will no doubt enlighten future generations.

Clapton in a rare on stage speech pats himself for being on the stage with such astonishingly good musicians. This reviewer would also like to pat Eric on the back. It takes some serious cahoonies to even walk on stage with those guys let alone play with the likes of Marsalis, Victor Goines , Chris Crenshaw and Carlos Henriquez to name just a few.  

While many contemporaries rest on their reputations, Clapton remains one of the hardest working musicians in the business and is never been afraid to step outside of his comfort zone.

Highlights include: Ice Cream, Forty-four, The Last Time, Kidman Blues and Layla.

4.5 stars out 5