Guitar ace set to ignite blues night
ONE of the country’s top contemporary blues guitarists, Aynsley Lister, performs at Arlington Arts, Snelsmore, on Saturday, August 21.
MOJO magazine said: “His guitar playing is a fire hazard.”
Lister’s brand of blues-based rock delivers contemporary songwriting with the kind of heart and soul that can be missing from modern music. With more than 100,000 albums sold, lashings of critical acclaim and years of high-profile touring, he is a leading light in the resurgence of British blues-infused music.
Aynsley taught himself to play with relentless dedication and a precociously-attuned ear, spending hours copying his favourite records note-for-note – Peter Green, Albert King, Clapton and Kossoff became his teachers.
His dynamic live shows and an intense touring schedule, earned high-profile support slots with established artists like Walter Trout, John Mayall and Robert Cray, while rousing festival appearances alongside artists like the Fun Lovin’ Criminals cemented his standing as an artist whose work, although rooted in blues, transcended the genre with a fiery modern sound that was eagerly embraced by fans of rock, pop, soul and acoustic music alike.
In 2007, Aynsley was the only British artist to be named in Classic Rock magazine’s Top 10 Contemporary Blues Artists, alongside John Mayer, Derek Trucks and Joe Bonamassa. In 2013, Aynsley then bucked the trend and moved away from the traditional format, going into partnership with his wife Stephanie Lister and launching their own record label Straight Talkin’ Records. The pair have since released two of the most successful albums of Aynsley’s career under their own steam.
Home, released in 2013, garnered the guitar ace the Songwriter of the Year award at the British Blues Awards and Eyes Wide Open, released in 2016, saw him confidently pursuing his own musical path. Self-assured, inventive and richlytextured, Aynsley brings 18 years of hard touring, 11 album releases (eight studio, three live) and all his experience as a musician to his current live shows.
Tickets available at www.arlingtonarts.com or call the box office on (01635) 244246.