Guitar genius Albert Lee arrived in Australia this week for a month of shows, starting with the Melbourne Guitar Show.
While Albert Lee never evolved to celebrity, he did become a musician’s musician, working alongside names like Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris and Bo Diddley for the last 50 years.
An Albert Lee give is a trek through music’s DNA. While the Melbourne Guitar Show set was almost all covers, Albert curates a songlist that could easily be a template of modern music sounds.
The choice of Fats Domino pioneer Rock and Roll, the creation of Country-Rock through his time with Emmylou Harris, the guitar brilliance crafted by Carl Perkins or the songwriting excellence of Jimmy Webb gave a point of difference to every song Albert played.
‘Highwayman’ was well placed considering Jimmy Webb is also in Australia right now. (Webb and Lee’s Thursday night gigs clash so Albert can’t attend Webb’s show but maybe Jimmy Webb could pop up the night before with Albert).
Albert ended this set with one from his early days. ‘Country Boy’ was written by Albert and recorded by his band of ’71 ‘Heads, Hands & Feet’. According to Albert it signalled his arrival living in the USA.
This show for the Melbourne Guitar Show had a stripped down setlist because of time restraints and schedules. Albert Lee’s club show run a lot longer.
Albert Lee Melbourne Guitar Show setlist 4 August 2018
I’m Ready (Fats Domino cover)
Wheels (Flying Burrito Brothers cover)
Restless (Carl Perkins cover)
Song For The Life (Rodney Crowell cover)
Runaway Train (John Stewart cover)
Luxury Liner (Emmylou Harris cover)
Spellbound (Paul Kennerley cover)
Leave My Woman Alone (Ray Charles cover)
Highwayman (Jimmy Webb cover)
Country Boy (from Heads, Hands & Feet, 1971)
Albert Lee Australian dates
August 4, Melbourne, Melbourne Guitar Show
August 4, Melbourne, Caravan Club
August 5, Upwey, Skylark Club
August 8, Melbourne, Flemington Bowls Club
August 10, Meeniyan, Meeniyan Hall
August 11, Adelaide Guitar Festival
August 12, Perth, The Charles Hotel
August 15, Blue Mountains, Blue Mountains Theatre
August 16, Canberra, The Basement
August 17, Sydney, Brass Monkey Cronulla
August 18 and 19, Sydney Guitar Festival
August 21, Newcastle, Lizottes
August 22, Central Coast, The Art House Wyong
August 23, Brisbane, The Zoo
August 24, Gold Coast, Sound Lounge
August 25, Gympie, Gympie Music Muster
http://davidroywilliams.com/tours/albert-lee/
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