Live in 1977: The Humbler Stakes His Claim

Recorded at a variety of small clubs in the Washington, DC area, this album features tons of terrifying guitar work by the Master Blaster of the Telecaster. At the time, Gatton was becoming legendary for his blazing speed and explosive displays of improvisational genius. Gatton only recorded two albums under his own name in the 70's so this 10 song collection is quite a treat. The recording quality isn't the greatest---and you hear plennty of audience chatter and tinkling of glasses--but drop the needle anywhere on this album and be preapared to be, well, humbled. Along with displays of superhuman fretwork on cuts such as Sweet Georgia Brown and Danny's Blues, we also get to hear Gatton doing some of his signature tricks--a dicey procedure that involved starting his Echoplex playing whatever was last recorded on it, and then harmonizing over those parts while the band played along. Gatton also enjoyed filling the keyboard role with his own Hammnd B-3 sounding guitar parts, although the laye keyboardist Dick Heintze (whom Gatton cited as a key influence) is featured on the sci-fi madness of Rumble/Harlem Nocturne. The first new commercially available Gatton material to emerge in years, this CD takes you back to a place and time when one could regularly stroll into a bar and watch one of the greatest super-pickers of all time wowing the locals with his mind-bending guitar antics. Powerhouse Records --Art Thompson Guitar Player Magazine Sept. 2007