Bright Side Of The Moon: Lucky Peterson

Lucky Peterson - Beyond Cool
Mp3 - 320kbps

El blues de Lucky Peterson es una música abierta a las corrientes rythm 'n' blues, gospel o funk, y eso le lleva a hacer una música muy accesible al gran público y de gran éxito en sus giras y en la venta de sus discos. Si ya nadie discute que el blues es una de las grandes fuentes de las corrientes musicales contemporáneas, un río cuyos afluentes son hoy el rock o el rap, Lucky Peterson ha remontado la corriente hasta sus mismas fuentes, y su música cobra así la emoción de lo auténtico, la fuerza de lo primigenio, el talento de la sinceridad.

Cuando Peterson sube al escenario, ya sea cantando, o a los teclados o a la guitarra, vive con intensidad su música, y esa felicidad es inmediatamente contagiada al público. Y no podía ser de otro modo en alguien que ha estado sumergido en la música desde la cuna. Su padre, también cantante de blues, era propietario de un famoso club, el Governor's Inn en Buffalo, Nueva York, donde Lucky nació en 1963. Su primer disco, grabado a la edad de 5 años, fue producido por Willie Dixon y abrió las puertas del niño prodigio a los grandes programas televisivos de la época de Ed Sullivan y Johnny Carson.

Ya de adolescente, Lucky se muestra como un músico todoterreno, destacando sobre todo en el ámbito de los arreglos, y se solicita su concurso para acompañar entre otros a B. B. King y Albert Collins. Hasta que en los años 80 comienza su carrera en solitario grabando varios discos para el sello Aligator. A partir de ahí, y tras haber sabido evitar las trampas de la fama precoz, la música de Peterson se ha ido configurando de una manera más variada al margen de las modas musicales y atento sobre todo a los instintos que vienen de sus raíces: a sus treinta y ocho años, después de más de treinta de carrera, Lucky se ha impuesto como el más notable de los reformadores del blues contemporáneo sin abandonar empero lo que un purista consideraría la línea correcta del blues.

Moderno, lírico y sincrético, Peterson funde el espíritu del blues más auténtico con las grandes corrientes de la música negra actual, del rhythm and blues al funk, con las sombras de Hendrix y Prince planeando sobre el conjunto de su música. Su último trabajo discográfico se titula Double Dealin y está editado en el sello Verve.

Lucky Peterson played his first gig at age three. By the time he was five, he had already recorded his first single, produced by none other than the legendary Willie Dixon. Before Lucky turned six, his career had been propelled into the national spotlight with television appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even What’s My Line?

As a child prodigy, Lucky was somewhat of a novelty act. Now he is a true blues veteran. Over the last three decades, Lucky has played to audiences all over the world, dazzling both fans and critics with his multi-instrumental talents (he plays keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and trumpet), his soulful vocal style and his youthful approach to the blues.

Chicago’s Reader raved, "His musicianship is unassailable…a combination of sleek-handed dexterity and imagination…a happy marriage of blues authenticity and foot-pleasing danceability. This is a young musician of unlimited enthusiasm and nearly unlimited potential having the time of his life and excelling at every stop along the way." Born Judge Kenneth Peterson in 1963, Lucky was raised on music in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, His father, James Peterson, was a blues singer and owner of the Governor’s Inn, a northern version of a Deep South "chitlin’ circuit" roadhouse club. Artists like Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor played there regularly. Virtually growing up on stage, little Lucky began playing almost before he began talking.

He started on drums, but after hearing the famed Bill Doggett one night, Lucky became fascinated by the huge Hammond B-3 organ. "Bill had a fit trying to keep me from it," recalls Lucky. After some lessons from Doggett and the legendary Jimmy Smith, Lucky focused most of his musical energy on the organ. In his spare time, he also mastered bass and piano, becoming good enough to sit in with his father’s band and back touring artists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Jimmy Reed. "At first, people wouldn’t believe he could play so well," says James Peterson. "They would think the organ was rigged."

By the time Lucky was five, word of this child prodigy had spread among the blues community. Willie Dixon, a friend of James Peterson, heard little Lucky and produced the boy’s first record, a single entitled 1,2,3,4 and a follow-up album for Chicago’s Today Records. The single hit the airwaves with a bang and the national television appearances followed.

As Lucky continued to grow, he honed his instrumental skills by learning from and jamming with some of the best blues players in the world. When Little Milton’s band came up short an organ player one night, Milton asked the then 17-year-old Lucky to sit in. One gig was all it took for Milton to fall in love with Lucky’s playing. He asked Lucky to join the band permanently. After seven months, Lucky had become Milton’s bandleader. Opening shows with his own 45-minute set on vocals and keyboards, Lucky’s three-year stint with Milton led to an equally long gig with Bobby "Blue" Bland as Bobby’s featured soloist.

During a break in Bobby’s touring schedule, Lucky headed to Europe on a package tour billed as "Young Blues Giants." There he recorded his second career album this time for the French label Isabel Records. In 1988, Lucky left Bland’s touring band, relocated to Florida’s Tampa Bay area and began concentrating on a solo career. His reputation quickly led to regular session work for tiny Florida-based King Snake Records. His funky keyboards sparked Kenny Neal’s Big New From Baton Rouge!, Rufus Thomas’ That Woman Is Poison! and Lazy Lester’s Harp And Soul, which were all released by the more visible Alligator Records label. In 1989, Alligator released Lucky’s third solo outing, Lucky Strikes! Lucky co-wrote three songs for the album and played all of the keyboard parts and all but one of the guitar solos.

Alligator’s promotion helped to bring Lucky’s music to the attention of radio stations and music critics nationwide. They liked what they heard. Billboard called Lucky "…a prodigy whose raw talent bodes well for his future as a leader." Keyboard said, "Peterson is a 26-year-old blues master." The album received airplay on nearly 200 radio stations nationwide, and Lucky toured the U.S. several times.

Lucky’s next Alligator recording, 1990’s Triple Play, picked up right where Lucky Strikes! left off, again featuring his dynamic organ fills and leads with equal emphasis on his stinging lead guitar and soulful vocals. The material blended straight-ahead blues, Memphis soul and funky grooves that placed Lucky Peterson on the cutting edge of the blues.

Extensive session work behind everyone from Etta James and Kenny Neal to Otis Rush also commenced during this period. In 1992, Peterson's first Verve label album, I'm Ready, found him boldly mixing contemporary rock and soul into his simmering blues stew. More high-energy Verve sets followed, making it clear that Peterson's luck remains high (as does his father's, who's fashioned his own career as a bluesman with albums for Ichiban and Waldoxy). Lucky made his debut for new label Blue Thumb with a self-titled effort released in 1999. Double Dealin' followed in early 2001.

01. I'm Talking To You [0:04:30.14]
02. Count On Me [0:05:21.15]
03. Compared To What [0:05:11.49]
04. Up From The Skies [0:04:55.67]
05. Your Love Is Amazing [0:04:59.15]
06. That's What It Ought To Be [0:04:40.14]
07. Pouring Money On A Drowning Love Affair [0:03:52.17]
08. Beyond Cool [0:07:29.57]
09. You Haven't Got Nothing [0:04:33.62]
10. Your Good Thing Is About To Run Out [0:04:11.52]
11. You Can't Fool Me [0:04:03.45]
12. Drivin' Wheel [0:05:03.25]

LUCKY PETERSON NORTH ATLANTIC BLUES FEST 2007