Black Guitarists Celebration Blog
"I had agreed to meet the Devil at an intersection of roadways where we'd do a deal where I would become a much better guitarist." - Laszlo Cravensworth, 'What We Do In The Shadows'
Nazis unwelcome: here’s my post about moving this blog off of Substack soon. I might put this stinger on every post until then to try to irritate Nazi Sympathizer Hamish McKenzie. I might forget/get bored and stop. Not today though!
BONUS SECOND INTRO NOTICE: I will be at AWP! Please say hello if you would like, I would be stoked to talk to you. I am not scheduled to do anything, so if you have any open reading slots, holler. I’m not really on Twitter but I check DMs there, same with Discord (I’m @chriscorlew). Hope to see you in KC!
A long time ago—I mean I was definitely in high school—I saw the video for Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.” This was before CM Punk and similar circumstances to that time I stayed up in a hotel room and marathoned a History Channel docuseries on the Romanov family (and how they got capped in a basement lolololololol): I don’t remember where I was, it was probably a family vacation, and it left a major impression on me that I can’t quite put my finger on.
That’s not totally true, I guess. I like guitarists doing wild stuff, the lead singer was cool and magnetic, and in my memory, Vernon Reid’s fangers was bleeding. This appears to not be the case in the real video—maybe it was different all-Black arena rock band with shredding guitars that I would’ve believably seen on cable during the Bush administration—but Vernon Reid still plays like the blood doesn’t have to stay inside. The Romanov thing’s easy to explain, too—I was a European history nerd in high school, Russia was a mystery, and I didn’t know you could just kill monarchs and be done with it.
See what blogging can do? Some people pay for therapy! This took two paragraphs.
(Therapy is good and I wouldn’t be who I am today without it).
Anyway, some talking head—this had to have been MTV or VH1, probably 2004, I’m going to say it wasn’t Hal Sparks but who can be sure—said something like “besides Hendrix, what guitar heroes did Black people have?”
20-odd years later, I wanna make sure no one ever thinks that. Whoever said that was (Michael Jackson voice) ignorant. You only need about two brain cells (rub ‘em together real fast) to know Black Guitar Heroes. Still, for those who don’t know:
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Maybe we’re not starting with the most obscure person. But your humble blogger, raised in a culture of Boomer redneck dads who wouldn’t shut up about Hendrix/Clapton/SRV, didn’t know about Sister Rosetta Tharpe until well into my 20s. Go ahead and get educated if you’re not with this Gibson tribute narrated by Celisse and Amythyst Kiah.
La Luz
It’s important to be able to admit things that are embarrassing about yourself, so: I like surf music. Surf music and its cousin—whatever that psychedelic, reverb-y, southwestern US desert guitar is. It’s definitely got an expiration whenever I listen, but I love it. When Tarantino or the bad season of True Detective puts some reverby guitar in the score? I’m like hell yeah. I’ve listened to a The Chantays record, multiple times, on purpose. So yeah, I like Shana Cleveland’s playing in La Luz. And hey cool, here’s Shana Cleveland in cool litmag The Rumpus!
Aye Nako
I don’t know if they’re still a band, but Aye Nako writes really cool music I would have been insanely into if I’d gotten into them when they formed in 2010. Guitarists Mars Ganito and Jade Payne are never not doing something interesting, even if it’s the middle of a verse.
ZULU
This set went up on Audiotree a week or so ago. I’m not as into hardcore as I was in high school/college, but ZULU gets a nod for their young, gifted, and in-your-face vibe. Guitarists Dez Yusuf and Braxton Marcellous shred—but can play smooth, too.
Seafoam Walls
Hard pivot from hardcore. I’ve linked to Seafoam Walls before, but I really enjoy this band. Jayan Bertrand and Dion Kerr are so silky on guitar. They call themselves “Caribbean Jazzgaze,” which—if you know any other bands that self-identify as Caribbean Jazzgaze, please send them my way.
Jimi Hendrix
Sorry, I LOVE Hendrix. There’s no better use of an open E string, a wah pedal, and a three-piece than “Voodoo Child (Slight Return).” Stevie Ray Vaughan can go to hell.
Sorry you got an email,
Chris