willy porter can say that Ian Anderson of
Jethro Tull is grateful the flute
isn’t part of his repertoire. Naturally, Anderson’s words aren’t born
out of fear that Porter will usurp Tull’s place amongst the legends, but
rather the recognition that Willy Porter has a rare combination of talents as a
songwriter, guitarist, singer and performer. Porter and Anderson
have become friends and musical collaborators, working on Porter’s 2006
release Available Light, the first release on Porter’s self-started label, Weasel
Records. Their friendship goes back to the days when Porter was signed
with BMG and Six Degrees Records and touring with Rickie Lee Jones, The
Cranberries, Sting, Jeff Beck and Jethro Tull.
Since those early days, Porter has continually honed his vocal talents
and finessed his live shows. Each performance is an event to itself, deftly
combining humor, insight, masterful guitar work and gutsy singing. The
Available Light CD brings with it a style Porter calls “folk ‘n roll” combining
acoustic with an alternative rock drive. Now is a great time to catch one of
Willy Porter’s shows – an exquisite artist coming into his own, melding talents
and pushing into some new territory.
- Jeff Schad
Willy Porter will be performing live in Virginia
this month on the following dates:
OctOber 27 – charlottesville, VA; Gravity LounGe
OctOber 28 – Vienna, VA; Jammin Java
OctOber 29 – Ashland, VA; ashLand Coffee and tea
Photo courtesy of by RodneyBursiel.com