When thinking about the main subject of this column, a week when major blues-artists action (Guy Clark Jr. and Charlie Musselwhite/Elvin Bishop) makes a rare double-header appearance in the sylvan setting of Santa Barbara, my mind drifted over to Steely Dan’s ever fruitful songbook of lyrical oddities. The Dan is always good for an ironic laugh or chin-scratching ponderance. “Blues Beach,” a strange, bouncy-dark track from their underrated final album Everything Must Go sports the chorus refrain “On Blues Beach / I'm dying/Freezin' in the merciful rays / And it's the long sad Sunday / Of the early resigned.” (Listen up here ).
How this relates to the topic at hand is admittedly ambiguous: By Sunday, will the 805 blues lover within lead to a sad resignation, to be saved only by a trip up to Cold Spring Tavern to catch the acoustic blues mastery of Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan? Close enough for blues-jazz-smartpop and non-linear cross-referencing.
Where were we? Yes, blues is on the town in a major, trans-generational way. A vital figure in the younger generation of blues — and blues-based — music, cracklingly fine guitarist-singer Guy Clark Jr. pays a return visit to the Santa Barbara Bowl tonight, August 22. The 40-year-old artist was born in the music-basted town of Austin, Texas, playing the landmark club Antone’s on his way up into a wide public spotlight, emerging with a new hybrid blues-rock-soul sound a dozen years ago. Shades of Hendrix slip into the sonic mix, with modern twists and blues in the root system. His latest album, conceived during the COVID home stay, is this year’s JPEG RAW (acronym for Jealousy, Pride, Envy, Greed, Rules, Alter Ego, Worlds), with cameos from such lofty parties as Stevie Wonder (“What About the Children,” link ), George Clinton, Valerie June, and jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold.