Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters: Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live in Europe [Live]

Ronnie Earl | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 21, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Bullseye Blues
• ASIN: B0000004AX
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,145 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #31 in Music > Indie Music > Blues > Contemporary Blues

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simmering, sizzling, smoking, & burning, March 18, 2003

By 

bostonears (Lincoln, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters: Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live in Europe (Audio CD)

Twice I have seen Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters live in small clubs, within flicking distance of his beads of sweat. After the first time, I walked out of the club shaking my head, mumbling, "Why isn't this guy famous?" I still don't know the answer, but hopefully this disc will continue to help him along in that direction. If you hear Ronnie talk in person, you can't help but get the impression that he is the most humble and sincere guitar wizard out there.

Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live In Europe does an excellent job of representing Ronnie and the gang's live act, simmering, sizzling, smoking, and burning their way through a set of mostly original compositions. Bruce Katz's B3 organ is the perfect counterpoint to Ronnie's stellar picking, most notably on the cover of Bobby Timmons' classic "Moanin'." and Earl's own "Serezen".

While it's a fantastic performance overall, the recording is not without flaws. First, the audio volume level varies from track to track, such that if the playback volume is adjusted for the louder tracks, you'll strain to hear the quieter ones. So I end up ping-ponging back and forth on the volume. Second, during the quieter passages, an annoying electronic hum is audible. I believe this is coming from Ronnie's guitar amp. (The same hum is also audible in a couple of tracks on his studio album Still River.) And lastly, clocking in at nearly 15 minutes, the closing track "Rego Park Blues" is too long and ambling for my listening pleasure away from the concert environment.

I would give this one four and half stars if I could, but since the review system won't let me, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and bumping it up to five. Keep the faith, Ronnie!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning recording!, March 20, 2003

By 

M. Bernocchi "mbernocchi" (Old Windsor, Berkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters: Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live in Europe (Audio CD)

I don't think that Mr. Ronnie Earl needs any kind of introduction to any serious blues fan. He is one of the best (if not the best from my point of view) living "white" blues guitarists around. His amazing technique and the mastery with which he is able to build up a guitar solo from a quite start to the maximum of its intensity are second to none. I sow him playing several time and this live performance recorded in Europe is a very good example of what he is effortless able to do live on stage. Baked by his regular band Ronnie is in a dazzling shape and his performance is sublime throughout the entire concert. The rhythm section is solid and precise as usual and Bruce Kats does a marvellous job with his B3. As all his most recent albums this CD is totally instrumental however much more blues oriented than his previous studio ones. Tunes like "San-Ho-Zay", "Blues for the West Side" are solid Chicago electric "West Side" blues and "Rego Park Blues" worth by itself the price of the entire CD. The influence of great masters like Magic Sam and Otis Rush, a bit of T-Bone Walker skilfully mixed with a hint of Wes Montgomery are, from my point of view, pretty evident, however his stile remain very personal and unique in the today blues scene. A great album that should be present in any serious blues CDs collection. Five stars (I would rate it six but...)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blues Guitar for Blues Guitarists (and you too!), January 19, 2005

By 

R. Hutchings "SeekerOfTruth" (Mesquite, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ronnie Earl and The Broadcasters: Blues Guitar Virtuoso Live in Europe (Audio CD)

This cat just burns. His solos are not just copies of someone he heard back in the day, but real, feeling-laden creations that make you sweat. On "Thank you Mr. T-Bone", he emulates the single-string runs and pumping chords of The Man Himself, T-Bone Walker. No one has ever come close to this kind of mastery, not even Eric, Stevie Ray or Jimi.

Buy this CD. Buy it again! Buy it still again!!