Longtime Nashville-area resident and blues guitar virtuoso and songwriter Rick Vito has had the kind of career most musicians can only dream of. He’s toured and recorded with an array of rock legends including Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Todd Rundgren, Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayall, Jackson Browne and Roy Orbison. He was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1991 and co-founded with Mick Fleetwood the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito. On top of that, he’s recorded 13 well-regarded solo albums, the latest of which is Slidemaster, released April 3.
Vito has more than earned the title of slide master, and he underscores that fact on the album’s 12 instrumental tracks. The Grammy-nominated guitarist explores a variety of blues flavors on the record, from jump blues, blues shuffles and acoustic Delta blues to slower, more sorrowful-sounding fare. On six of the tracks, Vito plays all the instruments except drums, which are manned mostly by Charles Johnson, but also by Rick Reed and Lynn Williams on a few tracks. Bassist Charlie Harrison appears on four cuts, and organist Kevin McKendree provides Vito’s only accompaniment on the album finale, “The Lord’s Prayer.”
“The Lord’s Prayer,” which has a beautiful arrangement featuring Vito on slide guitar, bass, keys and percussion, is one of five songs by other songwriters on the album. The other four are a moving rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” a gently swinging version of Jimmy Hughes’ “Steal Away” and a pair of heartfelt homages to the founder of Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green. Vito delivers stirring renditions of Green’s “Albatross” and “Supernatural.”
As inspired as the cover recordings are, Vito especially shines on the seven original numbers, which not only highlight his six-string skills, but also his talent as a composer. Without words, Vito makes you feel the subject matter. You can sense the peril inherent in the slow blues “Danger Zone,” while “Soul Shadows” transports you to a breezy island locale and “River of Blues” takes you for a ride deep into the Mississippi Delta.
Find Slidemaster at your favorite record store, on your favorite streaming service or on Vito’s website. Follow him there or on Instagram for updates.
