10 Future Blues Legends
Meet 10 guitarists who are keeping the blues alive and well for a new generation of players.
BRANDON “TAZ” NIEDERAUER What does blues mean to you?
The blues is our American musical roots. It’s an essential building block for most American popular music today. Without the blues, the current musical landscape would look totally different. And, because of that, the blues is as alive as ever.
Who are your blues guitar heroes?
Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Duane Allman, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Johnson, Eric Gales, Taj Mahal and many more.
What was the first blues song or lick you learned?
Duane Allman’s opening solo lick on “Stormy Monday” from the Allman Brothers’ At Fillmore East.
What do you try to achieve in your own guitar playing to make your style and sound unique?
I don’t try to achieve a unique sound. My guitar voice is a natural extension of me, and I believe it comes from my heart, hands and head, in that order. The players that stand out have their own recognizable sound. In my book, if a player achieves that, then he’s unique. I’d rather listen to a mistake-filled solo that is unique and adventurous than someone sounding like a technically perfect Clapton, SRV or Hendrix clone. I think the greatest honor for a guitarist is to be recognized for his own sound.
How do you interpret the blues for a modern audience?
I like to blend elements of rock, soul, R&B, jazz and funk, and all those influences help me express the sound in my head. A great example of this is the track I recently worked on with Bootsy Collins and Snoop Dogg, “Jam On,” for Bootsy’s new album, The Power of the One.
What are your favorite pieces of gear?
My D’Angelico Brandon Niederauer Atlantic signature model guitar and my Analog Man King of Tone pedal.
What song in your catalog best exemplifies your approach to the guitar?
I think that would be one of my original compositions, “Find a Way.” The song structure allows me to play super melodically, approaching the guitar part slowly at first before building my solo, simmering things back down, and then exploding, if I want to.