Van Wilks - Virtuoso Guitarist From Texas

[RushFanForever]

There's an underrated virtuoso guitarist from Texas named Van Wilks. I discovered him a year ago because of his association with other Texas guitar legends such as Billy Gibbons and Eric Johnson. Wilks has been around for nearly 40 years as a recording artist. Check out his biography here.

 

Recently Billy Gibbons did an interview with MusicRadar here and rated Van Wilks as his #1 favorite guitarist.

 

Wilks' 1980 out of print album Bombay Tears has been reissued recently on Rock Candy Records. Bombay Tears is not blues rock, jazz rock, hard rock or acoustic rock but a wonderfully addictive combination of all those styles and more. The 2016 album reissue is the first time it's available on CD with the addition of the rare 1982 Boystown 4 song EP.' There's also a review of Bombay Tears here.

 

I enjoyed the Bombay Tears album a lot.

 

Van Wilks recent album 21st Century Blues is another recommended listen as it features the song 'Drive By Lover' (co-written with Billy Gibbons) which was initially featured as a bonus track on ZZ Top's 2012 album La Futura.

 

Here's both versions of 'Drive By Lover' below.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9lN8Yb_70A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s17DbNbvvPY

Edited October 8, 2018 by RushFanForever

[RushFanForever]

I should also point out that ZZ Top's appearance at the 2013 Montreux Jazz Festival is the first time the trio temporarily became more with Van Wilks making an appearance on guitar, along with Mike Flanigin on Hammond organ.

 

These two songs below are a jazz-blues tribute to the late Montreux Jazz Festival founder Claude Nobs.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waovuAn1t4k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QOnZ4UfEFY

 

Also a live video of 'Drive By Lover' below.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAslvfyl9ZY

Edited October 8, 2018 by RushFanForever