Because "straight from the horse's mouth" is my preferred way of understanding Chris and his music, I've gathered some of Chris's musings about each of these albums below. I've also included excerpts from some of my favorite reviews. To read the full articles, reviews, and interviews from which these excerpts were taken, go here. War … Continue reading Weed & War Crime Blues Media
Category: Audio/Video
Dislocation Blues Media
I've written a separate post examining the songs Chris and Jeff Lang covered on Dislocation Blues. Here, I've compiled the articles, photos, etc. that I've collected over the years. Read over a dozen articles/reviews. Listen to an interview Chris gave while in Australia recording the album. Listen to a podcast from Jeff Lang about the … Continue reading Dislocation Blues Media
Chris’s Guest Appearances with Bob Weir
Photo credit: CW by Peter Lorré at Parkpop The Hague in 1992; BW unknown In an interview about Note of Hope. an album that Rob Wasserman produced based on Woody Guthrie writings set to music, Rob briefly discussed Chris's involvement: [W]e had just been playing with Bob Weir back in the day. I introduced … Continue reading Chris’s Guest Appearances with Bob Weir
Some Rare Bootlegs – One Original and A Few Covers
As a producer, I'm really interested in interpretation," Street continues. "But most people don't even begin to put their own personalities into their music. Chris, though, has gone all the way through the blues and out the other side. He's really the only guy around who has that thing that Jimi Hendrix and Robert Johnson … Continue reading Some Rare Bootlegs – One Original and A Few Covers
Long Way Around: An Anthology 1991 – 2001
In the liner notes for this anthology, Bradley Bambarger wrote "The most compelling, communicative music resonates with a 'cry,' whether it embodies a wail of pain and despair or the not-so-dissimilar shouts of spiritual elation and sexual healing. ... [E]nduring music often echoes the real, remembered or empathetic cry of the listener. Chris Whitley's music … Continue reading Long Way Around: An Anthology 1991 – 2001
Reiter In Media
Reiter In was recorded as a band featuring Chris Whitley & "The Bastard Club": Heiko Schramm – bass guitar and backing vocals; Brian Geltner – drums, vibes, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals; Tim Beattie – harmonica, lap steel, and backing vocals; Kenny Siegal – baritone guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals; Sean … Continue reading Reiter In Media
A Few Iterations of Clear Blue Sky
Looking for something else today, I stumbled across Danny Kadar's 2015 ATCW group post, commemorating what would have been Chris's 55th birthday and sharing a SoundCloud playlist that contained a demo version of "Clear Blue Sky". This 1996 version of CBS was recorded at Blue Moon Racing, the Vermont property owned by Chris's dad and … Continue reading A Few Iterations of Clear Blue Sky
at the Rob Wasserman Trios Event 1994-03-26
In March 1994, Chris appeared at the Rex Foundation benefit concert at the Beacon Theater, with a busload of fellow musicians:Rob WassermanBruce HornsbyVictoria WilliamsChris WhitleyBob WeirJohn Wesley HardingMatt HaimovitzJimmy ScottDavid SanbornGeorge RessiliMichael BracklerLou Reed Although mostly unrelated to our man Chris, the Rex Foundation has an interesting story, as captured in these sentences from the … Continue reading at the Rob Wasserman Trios Event 1994-03-26
Din Band at The Middle East (Cambridge, MA) 1995-06-15
So good, so raw, so explosive. Forever Young!
Soft Dangerous Shores Media
Whitley recorded Soft Dangerous Shores with bassist Heiko Schramm and drummer Matthias Macht, the supple German rhythm team on board for Hotel Vast Horizon (Messenger, 2003). Malcolm Burn was at the helm, producing and engineering the record in his Kingston, N.Y., studio. Burn's sepia-toned keyboards were also the source of the album's hovering atmospherics. … Continue reading Soft Dangerous Shores Media
All Things Chris Whitley 