Rhett Tyler & Early Warning
At the Turning Point, Piermont, NY
Friday 05/10/02
by Suzie O’Kane
Rhett Tyler: Guitar
Al Buonanno: Bass
Don Moffit: Drums
On April 20th, I heard Rhett’s acoustic show at Images Nightclub (see pp. 16-17). Was it "unplugged?" Yes. Was it tranquil? Soft? Subdued? Tame? No. No. No. NO!! When Rhett left the stage, I sat for a moment (slightly dazed) and wondered, what just happened here? I thought to myself, if this is what he does with an acoustic 12-string and harmonica, what is this man capable of – electrified?!!
Armed with my autographed copy of Rhett’s double-cd, "Live at Manny’s Car Wash", during the three weeks that had passed since the Images show, I don’t think anyone who knows me heard anything other than "you’ve gotta hear this guy play!" I had been advised by former Early Warning initiates: Expect extreme intensity, high energy -- and high volume! This was going to be one exciting evening.
Ripping through classics like "Further On Down The Road", "Crossroads", and "Rollin’ and Tumblin’" to his own compositions with artistic agility, Rhett manages to extract and apply the essential style of every great blues guitarist to everything he plays: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Roy Buchanan, Jimi Hendrix, Johnnie Winter: They’re all there, standing by in the shadows, with Rhett’s inspired musical signature shining through to the forefront. And, after the opening numbers, far from the excessive volume I had expected, the audience was instead calling for Rhett to "turn it up!" and "crank it!"
The man can sing; heartfelt, from the soul. "Hell Hound" and "My Passion", so beautifully, agonizingly expressed, perfectly defining "the blues". The man can boogie: "Walkin’ by Myself" and "Slow Down Baby", neatly finger-picking his way from his musical Texas roots all the way to New York. And the man can definitely rock! At the end of the second set, Rhett looked out at the crowd, and exclaimed, "You’re nothing but a bunch of rockers, aren’t ya?", and followed with an amazing sampling of … (Ready for this?.. Because, I think this even took his band mates by surprise!) … Led Zeppelin riffs! Perfect! From the start of the evening, a warm, engaging energy between performers and audience was present. We were there to hear this band! They were there to play!
Drummer, Don Moffit, and bassist, Al Buonanno’s expert musical affinity and craftsmanship, together with Rhett’s unrelenting lead, resulted in the finest jazz-flavored, power-house-trio blues-jams heard in quite some time. They played, offering up heart and soul for nearly three hours! (Had someone mentioned the word, "intense"?) When Rhett handed over the lead to let his band take center stage, I watched him. He was still "playing"; fingers moving silently, continuously over the frets… and then I got it. After the show I commented to him, "You really just can’t help yourself, can you?". Rhett understood immediately and replied, "No. It chose me!"
Do yourself a favor. Catch this band the very next time they’re around. And bring friends. You’ll be amazed… That’s a promise! Check Rhett’s website (www.rhetttyler.com) and E*Blues News for upcoming tour dates. And be sure to look for Rhett’s new double-studio cd, "Don’t Put Me In No Box", scheduled for release July 2002. You can order cds by phone (518) 828-5091 or online through: towerrecords.com, amazon.com and mp3.com.