The Northern Irish guitarist and singer and songwriter GARY MOORE had a music career that was occupied by chaotic turns, curves and tangents. It ended abruptly when he died of a heart attack (aged only 58) on February 6, 2011.
However, despite all the difficulties and turmoil he endured, the Irishman never lost belief in the healing virtues of his live music or the love he preached through his strings.
During a supercharged career that properly began around 1968, he worked with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, jazz outfit Colosseum II and later formed his own band “G-Force”.
As a solo blues artist he found success in the charts with “Parisienne Walkways” (1979) and collaborated with industry stars that included: Jim Capaldi, B.B. King, Cozy Powell, Rod Argent, Paul Rodgers and many others. He also helped form a power-trio with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker of Cream fame (replacing Eric on guitar) with a brief project known as BBM (“Bruce Baker Moore”).
On December 2, 2009, only fourteen months before his tragic death at age 58, the legendary guitarist played a special one-off concert at London’s Islington Academy. Although available in bootleg form, this recording has never been made available before. Now, just over ten years later, Provogue (a division of Mascot Label Group) will release this unpublished recording. “Live From London” is out on 31st January 2020.
Between the first and the last song, Moore gave everything at Islington; sojourning through key moments in an event-filled career.
“Bad for You Baby” will create shudders in your shoulder-pads and will bring tears to your sequinned cheeks. plus there’s high-speed country-blues on “Down The Line ” and the affectional guitar hook on his version of Otis Rush’s “All Your Love” as well as an emotional reading of John Mayall’s “Have You Heard” both, likely, first learned during Moore’s teen-hood.
“Oh, Pretty Woman” is blistering and heartfelt. And the rhythms on this track are ecstatic too.
While the rock ‘n’ roller “Since I Met You Baby” (shared below) has all the tangled joyousness that you’ll need to get you over the sads so you can enter the room with a smile on your face again.
Yes, his sudden departure left the blues community with a sense of loss that, perhaps, we are still trying to come to terms with. But at least “ Live From London” serves as a reminder that Moore was the best performer of a generation and a true guitar genius.
Gary Moore
New Album: Live From London
Released: 31st January 2020
Via Provogue/Mascot Label Group
TRACK LISTING
1. Oh, Pretty Woman
2. Bad For You Baby
3. Down The Line
4. Since I Met You Baby
5. Have You Heard
6. All Your Love
7. Mojo Boogie
8. I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know
9. Too Tired / Gary’s Blues 1
10. Still Got The Blues
11. Walking By Myself
12. The Blues Alright
13. Parisienne Walkways