When Gary Clark Jr. greets Total Guitar on Zoom, it’s with a warm smile and a slight sense of amazement. After a quick scan of this writer’s music room, what grabs his attention is an unexpected “blast from the past” – the same electric guitar he cut his teeth on, in the exact same finish, on a guitar rack in the background. The rare model in question is a late-’90s Japanese-made Ibanez Blazer in Vintage Sunburst, which is exactly what the Texan brought along to the blues jams that schooled him at the very beginning of his teenage years. These were no ordinary club nights, however, given how Antone’s – the legendary downtown Austin venue – was also where Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan started their careers, and a place that was frequented by many a guitar great.
Seeing the old favourite transports Clark Jr. back to the start of his musical journey and, as we soon learn, draws parallels to much of his work on latest album JPEG RAW. The 12 tracks eloquently stretch out the format of blues into new sonic horizons without losing the core fundamental values, travelling through the realms of gospel, jazz, soul and hip-hop while also roping in star guests including Stevie Wonder, George Clinton and Valerie June.
“What felt different about this record is that I kinda went back to my 12 year-old self,” Gary says. “There was a fork in the road where I could have headed towards blues or shred. I chose blues, and ended up being the kid at those jam nights with that same Ibanez Blazer and a 60-watt solid-state Crate amp. The blues guys were looking at me like I was crazy! I actually still have the Blazer and play it all the time. I bought it because I needed some versatility. I thought
