Crossroads: Eric Clapton Guitar Festival 2007

one can't help but compare crossroads 2 to its predecessor. thoughinitially i was a bit disappointed but after seeing it a couple moretimes i'm more than satisfied.sonny landreth the slide guitar maestro opens the show with a bang. inhis second song he even invites clapton for a duel.john mclaughlin who recorded the best performance in the first crossroads,disappoints slightly here.doyle brahmhall is hardly impressive and seems to me to lack confidence for he seems to often looks towards clapton for approval. his slide version of cream's 'outside woman blues' is not too bad. but that's the best you can say.susan tedeschi performs a traditional blues number and is competent. her husband derek trucks follows her with a rousing version of derek and the dominoes "anyday" which lyrics clapton on the sidelines could be seen mouthing. derek is a major talent seemingly comfortable with both the bottleneck and regular lead playing.what follows is imo the highlight of the show - johnny winter's rousing version of 'highway 61'. yea, this is the old bull of the woods, all right. old and bent he is - but that doesn't prevent him from giving a spirited performance. the mini-humbuckers on his gibson firebird literally growl with his deft slide playing. derek trucks supporting him can be seen in one instance leaning over to get a glimpse of the albino's slide work.robert randoph is great - but imo they could have invited jeff healy who too plays a similar lap slide and is a great player - this time.robert cray in contrast to the earlier crossroads gives a mediocre performance.jimi vaughn and hubert sumlin play ok sets.bb king delivers way more than the previous time. he repeats "rock me baby" which he played at the texas crossroads but his signature vibrato is on full display here and he plays lick after delicious lick.i'm not a fan of country music and so can't really comment on vince gill or albert lee or willy nelson. sheryl crow looks pretty and this seems to be acknowledged by everybody from albert lee to willy nelson to clapton and apparently to the chagrin of vince neal.john mayer has matured as a guitarist from his previous performance at texas and it clearly shows here. and he has a great slide guitarist supporting him as well. atlast i am convinced enough to check out some of his music on cd.los lobos give a rousing set. they have two great guitarists in both the lead singer and david hidalgo.jeff beck and his young bassist tal wilkenfeld literally amaze. jeff is quite different from other guitarists and this show clearly shows why - he uses every dynamic in the guitar to express himself. i thought tal was actually his daughter as he seems to be so proud of her. and that she's 21 is surprising as she looks 12! but she is a great player with a dazzling touch. but it is a pity that they did not include jeff beck's interpretation of the beatles 'day in the life' - i would have loved to hear that.robbie robertson gives a great interpretation of bo diddley's 'who do you love'. clapton can't but resist playing along.this seems to be a show for clapton to remember the good old days. he gives a rousing performance of derek and the dominoes "tell the truth" ably supported by derek trucks.then he joins steve winwood and they do the old 'blind faith' tracks - 'had to cry today' (with winwood playing seconds lead) and 'presence of the lord' and cream's 'crossroads'.next winwood goes solo and does a fantastic version of traffic's 'dear mr fantasy'. he plays some very melodic lines on his guitar.buddy guy, the local chicago "authority", opens up with 'mary had a little lamb' and also does "damn right i have the blues". he is old now and it shows in the rigid movement of his fingers. but still buddy is buddy ..."sweet home chicago" with everybody participating winds up the show.i can't help but wonder why they did not invite warren haynes who is probably the best guitarist in america today. also joe bonamassa who is a phenomenal new talent. dweezil zappa also could have provided a different flavour to the music. also no metal representation this time as with steva vai last time. the exotic element as represented by the indian slide guitarist vishva mohan bhatt last time is missing. they could have invited prasanna, the guitarist from southern india who fusesrock with classical indian carnatic music. those interested in such music (ala mahavishnu orchestra etc) should check out his "electric ganesha land" - a carnatic guitarist's tribute to jimi hendrix!a final note about the guitars used : the best looking guitar is the tangerine burst (?) single cut used by susan tedeschi. not sure what the make of the beauty is - guild?. mclaughlin is seen sporting a godin. derek trucks plays his usual gibson 61 reissue sg. johnny winterhis trademark gibson firebird and bb king his lucille. david hidalgo plays a tele, but strats rule! the great majority of the players - clapton, buddy, jimi vaughn, mayer, robbie robertson, jeff beck, winwood - all play fender strats.a must for anybody who loves the guitar.wonder where the next crossroads festival will be ... nashville?

It's hard to think that the time-worn show-biz advice "always leave `em wanting more" could be embodied in the context of a four-hour DVD, but I think Eric Clapton and the producers of "Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007" pulled it off. Now, I can't recall Eric having ever been accused of poor taste. His reputation in that area is alive and well, thanks to the quality of musicians that packed the stage as documented in what may be the finest, most compelling concert movie I've ever seen.The 2007 event was the second such Crossroads Guitar Festival, staged by Clapton to benefit the Crossroads Centre, a facility in Antigua that treats drug and alcohol addiction, two demons that Clapton has fought and beat.The planning that went into the event was obviously significant, and the up-front work was worth it. Dozens of top-shelf musicians, from Blues aristocracy to a sky full of rock'n'roll superstars to rock's next generation of stars, shared a summer day, a beautiful stage, a magnificent sound and video system, and a reved-up throng in a stadium in Chicago's South Side.I watched the PBS broadcast of this concert in November of 2007 in complete awe, mostly over the same features that are so impressive in this DVD collection. It must have been a challenge just to decide what to include in this four-hour movie, let alone cut it in half again for a broadcast.The high-definition video and audio recording is state-of-the art, reflecting the new standard for home entertainment. This is a product that will likely never be shown in a theater - it was designed with your home theater in mind.On the two DVDs are 39 songs featuring two many fine musicians to count. B.B King, Willie Nelson, Sonny Landreth, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Albert Lee, Robert Cray, John Mayer, Los Lobos all make appearances. All are excellent (I'm sure this concert was kind of like Monday Night Football for the performers - all the other performers will see it). Nothing is perfunctory. No one phones it in.A number of highlights dot the landscape:a* John McLaughlin (somewhat annoyingly introduced as "Mahi-mahi" John Mc.Lauglin" by MC Bill Murray, who confirms here that he's always up to the same old trick), who performs a powerfully lyrical, jazz-based raga backed by a rhythm section that reminds me of his days with Miles Davis.* Doyle Bramhall II fronting a power-trio-plus-second-drummer foursome as they plow through Rosy, a rollicking blues shout inspired by a prison-farm field holler that leaves you feeling that a breakout is imminent. They follow it up with an incredibly powerful version of "Outside Woman Blues," a Blind Joe Reynolds smog recorded years ago by Clapton. While it's easy to credit the soloist, the real credit goes to the two drummers and bass player, whose vocals, timing, and use of their instruments are outstanding. Why isn't Doyle Bramhall II a household name?* Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, combining for a delicious set that laces together Tedeschi's sinuous vocal lines with differing but complementary licks laid down by both guitarists. Robert Randolph, playing with The Robert Cray Band, whose enthusiasm so clearly feeds off the crowd's reaction to him at center stage, in his performance of "Nobodysoul".* Johnny Winter, very white and very frail, focused as a laser as he roars through Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited."John Mayer, whose songwriting and guitar mastery surprised me (and probably only me, since it seems I haven't been paying enough attention to him) with a soul/jazz/rock/blues stew to the tempo of a rolling boil on "Belief."* Jeff Beck, a few years ago in danger of permanent assignment to the relic bin, now completely revitalized. Jeff's buff in a slick black and yellow vest, and his playing is as lyrical and nuanced as ever. It seems that his performance was in large part successful because of the fiery jazzy musicality and refreshing stage presence of female bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, who drives the crowd into a frenzy as she soars through the first solo of Beck's set on "Cause We've Ended as Lovers."After a few token appearances earlier in the show, Clapton checks in pretty much for good about a third of the way through the second disk. Previously, he appears content to sit stage side, taking photos like a tourist, and biding his time until nightfall. As an observer, he sometimes seems as in awe of the collected talent as is the audience. At other times, he is seen schmoozing offstage with his A-list guests. He knows how to throw a party. To me, "Can't Find My Way Home," "Had to Cry Today," and "Presence of the Lord" stand out because Steve Winwood is onstage playing and singing alongside Clapton, evoking the brief but productive time they spent together in Blind Faith. Winwood then performs "Dear Mr. Fantasy," proving that he had talent while he was part of Traffic, and maybe even The Spencer Davis Trio, too.Fortunately, this video is not gunked up by tricky camera shots, showy transitions, or useless voice-over narration. Footage is overlaid mostly to inform or to enhance the viewing experience.I wish I had been there, if only to have run the commemorative guitar slide concession.

Super MuckeGerne wieder

A great guitar festival organised by Eric Clapton that features several top guitarists that will delight. In aid of Clapton's Crossroads foundation.

Le DVD est superbe, je le connais très bien et je souhaitais le remplacer car égaré. Pas de problème de lecture pour le DVD1 mais la lecture du DVD est impossible avec message sur le téléviseur: Lecture interdite code zone. Dommage, je souhaite l'avoir car il manque à ma collection de mes Crossroads, la seule que j'ai :-)

Concerto bellissimo, uno dei più belli tra i Crossroads Guitar Festival. Immagini di alta qualità e sonoro all'altezza dei gusti più raffinati. Lo consiglio a tutti gli amanti e buongustai della musica.

No había adquirido hasta ahora ningún concierto de Crossroads.He empezado por éste de 2007 y la verdad es que me ha gustado mucho,empezando por el menú, muy completo: sonido, subtítulos etc...Después hay que destacar el elenco tan impresionante de artistas que intervienen (blues y rock al más alto nivel).La imagen y el sonido es bastante bueno.En resumen, grata sorpresa para mí que desconocía estos eventos.Les gustará a todos los amantes de la buena música en general y a los " muy guitarreros " en especial.Altamente recomendable.