Gary Moore – Live from Baloise Session
Provogue Records
8 tracks – 55 minutes
On November 13, 2008, Gary Moore took the stage at the Baloise Session, an event held In Basel, Switzerland featuring A-list artists in an intimate club setting. Many consider this performance to be one of the best of his career. Three years later on February 6, 2011, he passed away at age 58 while on vacation in Spain.
Gary was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1952. He started playing guitar at age 14. Although left-handed, he learned to play on a right-handed guitar. By age 16, he joined Phil Lynott in the hard rock group, Skid Row. Lynott left the group to form Thin Lizzy. Gary stayed with Skid Row for two more album releases, but then briefly joined Thin Lizzy in 1974 before joining Colosseum II. He rejoined Thin Lizzy from 1977 -1979. He departed that group after he had success with his first single, “Parisienne Walkways”, an early stroll into the blues. He released his first solo album, Grinding Stone in 1973.
He fashioned his guitar style from Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Peter Green. The latter sold Gary his primary guitar that he used for most of his career. A number of albums followed that initial release, most following his harder rock sound garnered from his earlier band connections, although some blues rock did find its way into some songs. In 1990, tiring of hard rock, he decided to return to the blues style that he initially craved from his influences. The result was Still Got the Blues, an album with special guests Albert Collins, Albert King and George Harrison. The remaining albums in his career remained primarily in the blues. In 1994, he joined a short-lived super group, BBM with former Cream stablemates Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. The group disbanded after releasing one album, Around the Next Dream. He released his final studio album, Bad for You Baby” in 2008.
Live from Baloise Session consists of both a cd and a Blu-ray version of the concert. The band consists of Gary Moore on guitar and vocals, Pete Rees on bass, Brian Downey on drums and Vic Martin on keyboards. The session moved easily from his blues numbers through some harder rock elements and moving back into the blues.
The concert opened with a cover of Albert King’s “Oh, Pretty Woman”, a solid blues rock version of the song with Gary’s easily recognizable vocals and his furious fret work. The song was originally on Still Got the Blues, which was performed with Albert King. A Moore composition, “Since I Met You Baby” follows. It was originally on his album After Hours and featured B.B. King on the song. Vic’s organ sails along underneath Gary’s guitar driving the song’s sound.
Chuck Berry’s “Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)”, originally recorded on Close as You Get is an all-out rocker with Gary providing some blistering lead guitar. Al Kooper’s “I’ll Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know” becomes an emotional centerpiece at a length in excess of twelve minutes. His guitar shifts into a slow, moody cry with Vic’s organ smoothly floating in the background and a steady beat established by Brian’s drum. The song was originally released on Bad for You Baby.
In a tribute to his old buddies in Thin Lizzy, he drops Phillip Lynott’s “Don’t Believe a Word” keeping his blues licks flowing into the song before he gets things rocking out in the latter portion of the song and lets his guitar loose in a searing solo. His title track “Still Got the Blues”, perhaps his best-known song and considered by many to be one of the greatest blues anthems ever recorded, is delivered with a deeply emotional touch.
Also, from Still Got the Blues, a cover of Jimmy Roger’s “Walking by Myself” follows. The song was an iconic song for Moore and was regularly a featured staple for his performances. This is delivered as a hard driving blues rock number in which he encourages everyone to get up on their feet. He closes the concert by declaring “The Blues Is Alright”, a song from Milton Campbell that was originally covered by Gary on After Hours.
Gary never gained much following in America during his playing days, but he was considered in the epitome of blues rock acts in Europe. This album demonstrates why he gained tremendous respect there and why many consider him one of the best guitarists of all time. His vocal capabilities are also proven an equal to his guitar playing. The album represents an artist at the peak of his prowess.
