Current Conditions
29°F - P/CLOUDY
Luckily for him, his friends are some of the best musicians in the world, including Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Vince Gill, Dr. John, Eric Johnson and Jimmy Buffett.
The trick for Landreth, a Louisiana native best known for his prowess on slide guitar but also a fine singer and songwriter, was figuring out how to fully weave his guests' talents into the fabric of his album, "From the Reach."
Landreth, who will perform with his band Sunday night at Long's Park (the concert, part of the Summer Music Series, is sponsored by the Intelligencer Journal) decided to write songs aimed at the singular talents of his friends.
"If I were to actually write the songs with them in mind, then there's a connection that wouldn't be there otherwise," Landreth said. "I had a connection with them personally and I had a connection with them through their music, and I needed to use that to my advantage."
He remembers initial discussions with Knopfler about "Blue Tarp Blues," a song about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that Landreth wanted to perform with the former leader of Dire Straits.
"He's a really good friend of mine," Landreth said. "We talk to each other all the time. He's asking what the song's like. I go, 'What would happen if 'The Sultans of Swing' met the king of zydeco?' He starts laughing. I go, 'It's kind of got a vibe like that.' That got him interested."
Most everybody Landreth contacted about playing or singing on the album jumped at the chance. And he succeeded at seamlessly integrating each and every one of them into the songs.
That's mostly a tribute to Landreth's strategic planning for the album — but modern technology also deserves a nod.Landreth said he and his band recorded each of the songs and mixed them before sending them on for his guests' contributions.
"What we sent was the actual mix," Landreth said. "It was exactly what we were hearing."
The musicians would make their contributions and send them back.
Landreth, 57, well remembers "The Milky Way Home," a blistering instrumental featuring Texas guitarist Johnson. It was the first song he got back from one of his friends.
"When we got it, we threw it up and went, 'Holy s---, this is unbelievable," he said. "I thought two things: One, this is going to be a real adventurous ride and, two, I've got to recut my solo. It was good for me. It pushed me in a way I like."
Landreth did reserve the right to go back and change a song. He changed lyrics, altered chord changes and and re-recorded solos. Though they weren't working in the same studio, there still was a lot of musical give and take between Landreth and his band and the guest musicians.
Along with "Milky Way Home," some of the other highlights of "From the Reach," which doesn't have a weak track, are "Blue Tarp Blues" with Knopfler, "The Goin' On" with Gill and "When I Still Had You" with Clapton.
Despite his heavyweight guests, they never overwhelm Landreth.
(795) (763) (133) (29) (6) (5) (4) (4) (3) (3) (2)"The other challenge is not to lose sight of the city limits where I live," he said. "I had to remember that it's my song and my space, but at the same time, in my own way, it's as much paying tribute to them and their influence on me, too. It was a balance for sure."
Though Landreth is one of the finest, most inventive slide guitarists on the planet, his popularity has never matched his talent.
As well as making a number of solo albums, Landreth has excelled as a studio musician. He also has worked as a member of the Goners, John Hiatt's backing band for a number of tours and albums, including "Slow Turning," arguably Hiatt's best album, and "Beneath This Gruff Exterior."
Unfortunately, a number of Landreth's solo albums are out of print, something he is trying to correct.
Landreth released "From the Reach" on his own label, Landfall Records.
"We're not really doing anything any different that we have been except that I retain ownership of my master," he said. "That's what I'm trying to get across to younger players and other journeyman players who are kind of in the same boat."
He also is trying to secure ownership of the albums that are out of print.
"It's one thing to not get your fair share of royalties, but it's worse when people who want them can't even get your albums," Landreth said. "That's your heart and soul. That's something that could be lost if it's not looked after."
It's unconscionable that music of this caliber should ever be lost.
Sonny Landreth, Sun., 7:30 p.m., Long's Park Amphitheater, Harrisburg Pike at Rt. 30, free, 735-8883.
E-mail: jferguson@lnpnews.com
