Reuters Entertainment news - By Barry A. Jeckell :
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Buddy Guy has drafted a pair of famous friends to join him on his latest album, "Blues Singer."
Due Tuesday (June 3) from Silvertone Records, the acoustic set finds the blues legend joined by one of his contemporaries, B.B. King, as well as guitar great Eric Clapton.
Clapton is featured on the Frankie Lee Sims song "Lucy Mae Blues," while King and Clapton both offer guitar solos on the John Lee Hooker classic "Crawlin' Kingsnake." The latter song can be previewed on Guy's Silvertone Web site (http://www.buddyguy.net).
Other songs Guy recorded for the 12-track collection include Hooker's "Black Cat Blues" and "Sally Mae," Muddy Waters' "I Live the Life I Love," and Skip James' "Hard Times Killing Floor."
Drummer Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan , John Lennon), bassist Tony Garnier (Asleep At The Wheel, Dylan), and guitarist Jimbo Mathus (Squirrel Nut Zippers) back Guy on most tracks. "Blues Singer" was produced by Dennis Herring (Cracker, Counting Crows) at his Sweet Tea Studios in Oxford, Miss., the same combination that gave birth to Guy's acclaimed 2001 Silvertone release, "Sweet Tea."
That set -- which featured drummer Pete Thomas and bassist Davey Faragher of Elvis Costello's band, the Imposters, as well as guitar work by Mathus -- debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums chart. "Sweet Tea" has sold 129,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.
In February, Guy was among the myriad artists participating in the Salute to the Blues extravaganza at New York's Radio City Music Hall. The show was filmed by director Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day") for a theatrical release that will be executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
The hard-touring Guy is currently on a brief break from the road but will take up the trail again beginning June 10 in Harrisburg, Pa. Among his stops will be a June 27 performance at Milwaukee's Summerfest and a July 5 visit to the 20th annual Spiritfest in Kansas City, Mo.
Here are Guy's upcoming tour dates:
June 10: Harrisburg, Pa. (Forum Auditorium)
June 12: Providence, R.I. (Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel)
June 13: Portland, Maine (State Theater)
June 14: Hampton Beach, N.H. (Hampton Beach Casino)
June 15: Westbury, N.Y. (Westbury Music Fair)
June 16: Boston (FleetBoston Pavilion)
June 17: New York (Beacon Theater)
June 19: Philadelphia (Kimmel Center)
June 20: Vienna, Va. (Filene Center)
June 21: Philadelphia (New Melody Fair)
June 24: Highpark, Ill. (Ravina Festival Pavilion)
June 27: Milwaukee (Milwaukee Summerfest)
July 5: Kansas City, Mo. (Kansas City Spirit Festival)
July 12: Granite Falls, Minn. (Prairie's Edge Casino)
July 16: Monttremblant, Minn. (Monttremblant Blues Fest)
July 18: London, Ontario (Bluesfest International)
July 19: Windsor, Ontario (International Bluesfest)
July 20: Grand Rapids, Mich. (Frederik Meijer Gardens)
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