Chris Vandercook - Blue Skies (CD)

Release Date: 08/11/23

11-song collection of the many varieties of blues music and a tribute to some of its greatest songwriters.

Blues is a storyteller”s medium, and on Blue Skies, his debut recording, Chris Vandercook brings together stories heard and retold over the course of a lifetime. On these songs, his guitar is as much of a storyteller as his voice — snaking in and out of the foreground, commenting on the tall tales that unfold. His vocals convey a rueful acceptance of the facts of life: keeping it simple, letting the lyrics do their job. Added vocal inspiration comes from jazz diva Azure McCall — an artist who makes every song her own. Influences can be heard from the worlds of jazz, Chicago Blues, Memphis Soul, country, and early rock”n” roll, with a guitar style that builds on the legacies of the Three Kings (B.B., Albert, and Freddy) and soul masters Cornell Dupree and Bobby Womack. Although his music is steeped in tradition, there”s no attempt to stay within boundaries here. For Vandercook, the blues can carry any number of messages, any number of ways.

Bonus Materials

• includes a free download card