Albert Collins & Gilles Gellin Beaujolais 2010

Albert Collins was known by various names including "The Master of the Telecaster," "The Iceman," and "The Razor Blade." He wrung sounds out of a customized Telecaster that most guitarists can only dream about. In fact, it’s said that his sound could strip the paint off a car. A blues man at heart, his repertoire also included funk, rock, and jazz. His songs are stories, some of them hilarious.

He played in obscurity until the white blues band, Canned Heat, persuaded him to the West Coast. It proved to be a good move because in 1968 he recorded his first album for Imperial Records. The label didn’t last and he slipped out of sight until 1978 when he signed with the premier blues label, alligator Records.

If you watch him play, you may find his chording strange. That’s because he didn’t use standard tuning on his guitars. For example, when he played in the key of D minor, his guitar was tuned (low to high) D-A-D-F-A-D and he often used a capo instead of shifting fingerings. And of course, no sweep picking for Albert. He was strictly a finger picker.

Tragically, the world was robbed of his best years as a blues performer by liver cancer that ended with his premature death on November 24, 1993. He was just 61 years old.

 Iceman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihvvf1R_vWo

I ain’t drunk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjVfc8-Y7sQ

If trouble was money: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz6LbWWqX-g

Honey hush: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lg9VPEQQ60

Dirty Dishes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60f7s4iy86s

Frosty: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr5-9UImcTE

Snowed in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYAJRdeJyEc

A good fool is hard to find: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK3cVoy6amI

Black cat bone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1WohReltuo

Travelin south: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxMYChh4ytQ

The moon is full: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbnm-XDNJIo

Further on down the road: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp4BlGXwSew

French Burgundies are some of the finest and most expensive wines in the world, which is the reason Beaujolais isn’t appreciated as much as it should be. After all Beaujolais are burgundies. I’ve had a 2009 version of the wine I’m featuring tonight and I loved it. The 2010 is even better. Gilles Gelin Beaujolais Villages is full of juicy red raspberries and cherries with a touch of pepper on the nose. The red fruit is echoed on the palate with a structure like a fine Côte de Beaune Pinot Noir, but at $14.00 a bottle, you can enjoy it without choking on the price. I must admit, I love Beaujolais, so perhaps I’m prejudiced. But dang, this is good wine.

Cheers!

Arlen Roth and Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc

Known as "The Master of the Telecaster," Arlen Roth is a guitarist's guitarist. He is a highly regarded authority concerning "all things guitar." His first solo album won the Montreaux Critics' Award for Best Instrumental Album of the Year in 1978.

His legendary guitar prowess crosses all genres, all styles, and all types of guitar playing, including one of his specialties, slide guitar. He fluidly moves from folk and blues to country tunes, and has played some of the most resounding rock ever recorded. He is a master of acoustic ballads, (don’t miss his acoustic version of Layla included below that has been critically acclaimed as being better than Eric Clapton's version) and the most powerful version of "When a Man Loves a Woman" ever recorded, which Guitar Player magazine called "likely the most intense workout ever recorded on a Telecaster." And for you acoustic enjoyment, don’t miss his version of Anji. It’s a killer.

In addition to his recording and concerts, he’s considered an important influence on learning to play the guitar and other instruments around the world. In 1979, he and his late wife, Deborah, founded Hot Licks , a guitar learning resources company, the first to videotape famous musicians demonstrating their techniques and individual styles, creating an important historical as well as teaching legacy. I have a video of Rory Block and one of Keb Mo, both have helped my feeble style immensely…at east in my own mind. To date, the company has shipped over two million videos worldwide, while producing an extensive library of books and guitar-related materials. You’re gonna like this monster of a guitarist.

Blues Improv: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P769t-_7MKo

Tequilla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmuTcr7pUKM&feature=related

The art of blues soloing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHq8Xy3ByTU&feature=related

Heavy funk blues: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAdQohBt1Qs&feature=related

Treat her right with Jack Bruce: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z6ajBqBgC4&feature=related

House of the rising sun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz6fxZYK4jE&feature=related

When a man loves a woman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-AK5Nls57k&feature=related

Can’t stop loving you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVeQGwYc1iE&feature=related

Georgia on my mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0sHJU00bt4&feature=related

Mrs. Robinson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNDVHjm7UWQ&feature=related

Anji: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5KkETZsM3w&feature=related

Classical Gas: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqXfic4doeg&feature=related

Don’t think twice: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oytp4UxfhA&feature=related

Upstate Rag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaER3btofVA&feature=related

Toolin around with Sonny Landreth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwVJV-0-0K0&feature=related

Ballad of a thin man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AsWVKSX1Bg&feature=related

Layla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O02eF96r-w

My favorite summer wines are Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, and Reisling. New Zealand gets a lot of good press on their Sauvignon Blancs, but tonight’s American version can go toe to toe with the best of them. The 2010 Stolpman Sauvignon Blanc ($16.00) hits with aromas of apples, pears, and citrus. The first sip feels almost effervescent in the mouth. It’s light and crisp, full of green apples and citrus with a finish reminiscent of a classic Sancerre. I am so glad I’ve got a case of it sitting in my cellar. A bottle of this and the music of Arlen Roth is a great way to welcome summer. Enjoy!

Cheers!