This re-issue is a compilation of 18 songs from Roy Rogers' favorite releases of the 1990's from Capitol Nashville/Liberty Records years. Slide of Hand and Slide Zone have been off the market for many years. They have very special guests including Allen Toussaint, Bela Fleck and Charlie Musselwhite. These are contemporary Americana / blues recordings with strong songwriting and dynamic arrangements. Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings have toured worldwide since 1982 and have performed at some of most prestigious festivals in the world.
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:
All Music Guide Review: 4 Stars
Roy Rogers is somewhat of a rarity in contemporary blues; he's not only a monstrous guitar player, but is also possessed of a distinctive singing voice. In addition, he differentiates himself from the Chicago-style hordes by concentrating primarily on Delta-influenced slide guitar. By no means simply a revivalist, however, he's managed to take the best of Son House and create a unique style that is much more than the sum of its influences. Often sounding like the swamp-bred offspring of Ry Cooder and the Allman Brothers, Rogers (along with bassist Steve Evans and drummer Mike Hyman) opens the album with a pair of furiously funky, syncopated stompers. From there, he explores a myriad of roots styles, moving from moody instrumental jazz to hyper-speed rockabilly to Bela Fleck banjo duets with equal facility. Like Duane Allman, Rogers uses the slide to play real melodies, not tired old Lightnin' Hopkins licks, and his versatility with the technique is nothing short of astonishing. Overall, though, his greatest strengths lie not in his chops nor in his commitment to authenticity, but in his sincerity; it's obvious in every note that the guy really loves this music, whether it's actually blues or not. Strangely, though (especially since he's a white boy from California), Roy Rogers often sounds more "bluesy" than contemporaries like Keb Mo and Alvin Youngblood Hart. (Pemberton Roach)
Roy Rogers is one of the premier slide guitarists performing today. With eight solo recordings, he has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards and 6 Grammy credits as the producer of John Lee Hooker and Ramblin' Jack Elliott releases. He is well known for his exciting live performances, having toured in the 1980's with John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast Blues Band and then with his own group The Delta Rhythm Kings since 1986. Rogers has appeared at numerous festivals and special events throughout the world, including Montreux Jazz (Switzerland), North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Notodden (Norway), Byron Bay (Australia), New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (USA) and Montreal Jazz (Canada) in addition to touring Europe, the U.S.A., and Canada.
Rogers' ability to electrify and move audiences to their feet is well known. He loves to perform and it shows. Nominated for Best Blues Guitarist by the W.C. Handy's in 2003, his virtuosity and style of slide guitar has been recognized worldwide and acknowledged in such publications as Rolling Stone, USA Today, Billboard, Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar and Guitar & Bass magazine. His musical talents have been featured on numerous film & TV soundtracks, most notably 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and also 'The Hot Spot' which he recorded with Miles Davis, John Lee Hooker and Taj Mahal and garnered a Grammy nomination.
A native Californian, he was born in 1950 and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He started playing guitar at age 12 and was exposed to a wealth of music styles, most notably the blues, which became his passion - especially the Delta Blues (Robert Johnson) and slide guitar. Since his first recording in 1976, he has become one of the finest practitioners and innovators of modern slide guitar.
A recording artist, producer and composer - he continues to combine diverse music influences to achieve his musical vision. Always eclectic in approach, he is constantly stretching the boundaries of slide guitar.
"Rogers is both a sensational and a sensitive blues guitarist - certainly among the finest slide guitarists playing today. His wailing slide guitar sound (and churning rhythms, when needed) mark him and his work as of the highest caliber." - San Francisco Chronicle
"Rogers is an exceptionally articulate slide guitarist, either he's scorching Robert Johnson's 'Ramblin' Blues' or taking a lovely, lyrical journey...or rockin' it out. One of the rare guitar heroes who values feeling over flash." - Rolling Stone
"Many guitarists dabble in slide guitar, but the number of modern masters can probably be counted on one hand - Roy Rogers is surely one of them..." - Guitar Player
"Pundits who bemoan the scarcity of guitar gods haven't laid ears on Roy Rogers, whose slide riffs could peel a crawfish." - USA Today
