press and media >> guitariste (france) >> blues fax: devil's slide

date >> 2001

author >> olivier galan

scan >> emmanuelle c.

translation >> maike

Blues Fax: Devil's Slide

Just after having given a stunning performance in Paris as supporting act for Steve Vai, Eric Sardinas (and his fantastic look) entrusts us with his strong impressions of his first album "Treat Me Right".

How have you developed your play, regarding the use of a slide on an electrified dobro?

I started to listen to blues and soul when I was very young. That's what my parents were listening to. I particularly liked the traditional acoustic delta blues -- Charlie Patton, Bukka White, but also Elmore James or Muddy Waters, and the Chicago blues. I learned how to play by ear, and how to use a slide… that was all very natural for me.

Your interpretation of blues is bursting with energy and very aggressive…

That's my natural way of playing. The rock n' roll element is a question of generation. I feel like a bluesman, but I love to exhaust the limits of that genre. That's what I have been doing for ten years, at 300 concerts a year.

Click to view

Emmanuelle's scan.

How did you persuade Hubert Sumlin and Johnny Winter to play with you on "Treat Me Right"?

I was lucky enough to tour with them. It was an honor for me that such legends agreed to play on my first record! The blues is perfect for playing with other musicians and I hope to have the opportunity to invite other famous musicians to play on my next albums. I had about ten people on my list, but my number one wasn't available at the time. I try to attract people and to draw their attention to me by touring. I'm going to record my next album next summer.

You have been playing in the clubs in the States for ten years. How do you react to the sudden success of certain young bluesmen, such as Johnny Lang or Kenny Wayne Shepherd?

I had to fight longer, and now I'm stronger and wiser. I became hardened and matured. It's not always easy to get your way when you have a personal style and a certain attitude. I'm not sure if it would have been better if I had signed a contract with a major record company ten years ago. It's certainly easier to give a good account of yourself in a club than in a stadium in front of thousands of people.

Every night you jam with Steve Vai and his band at the end of the show. Isn't it a bit like a revival of the duel in the movie Crossroads?

Yeah! (laughter) Only that it's me who plays the role of Jack Butler, ha, ha, ha! Steve is very nice to me; he likes to jam because our styles are very different. That gives interesting input to the show.

What about your gear?

I have a custom-made dobro with a "cut-away" made to my specifications, and I use different open-tunings, occasionally with a capo. The guitar is plugged directly into my Rivera Signature amp (which will be marketed very soon). That's a combo, and I plug in a Rivera Subwoofer loudspeaker to have more depth. In the past I had two old Fender Twins, but they have become too fragile for touring.