A couple of years ago, I happened to stumble upon the music of Irish, blues guitarist, Gary Moore. Along with the late, Rory Gallagher, Moore is in the pantheon of the great, Irish blues guitarists of all time. To qualify Moore this way, though, was to do him and his legacy a complete disservice. Throw away the qualifier, 'Irish'. Moore, who began his musical fame with the band, Thin Lizzy, was simply one of the very best blues guitarists of the past quarter century.
Therefore, I was shocked to find out that while on vacation in Spain recently, Moore died of a massive heart attack in his sleep. Moore's legacy will always have a secure place in blues music as he has influenced the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Randy Rhoads, Kirk Hammett, and others; not to mention the wide range of musicians with whom he collaborated: B.B. King, George Harrison, Albert Collins, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, the Beach Boys, Albert King, and Ozzy Osbourne, to name a few. From a personal standpoint, Moore has been on my iPod for the last two years and has helped me through many long nights at work, with his searing guitar riffs, and his unique, raw, voice. I'm sad for his passing, and for missing out on the music he was about to work on, but grateful for his playlist that will help me through a few more long nights. Below, is a video of Gary playing Roy Buchanan's The Messiah Will Come Again at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in 1990. Enjoy:
I agree.
ReplyDeleteGary had such a soulful way of playing.
And what a nuclear assault on those poor older blues gents in that 'Still Got the Blues video!
Whenever an influence of mine has to stand before the Lord, I can't help wondering what if any relationship he had with his Creator.
His daughter is around the same age as mine, I'm a little younger than Gary.. My heart goes out to his loved ones.