John Etheridge’s BLUE SPIRITS Live at The Verdict Jazz Club

About

John Etheridge’s BLUE SPIRITS

John Etheridge - guitar

Pete Whittaker - organ

Tristan Banks - drums

‘No doubting his awesome authority whenever he touches the guitar’ (The Guardian)

‘I never wanted to be a star just a highly respected musician like John Etheridge ‘(Sting –The Guardian 1980)

Drawing on a vast reservoir of musical experience spanning 54 years, Etheridge distills the bluesier side of his musical world in a repertoire that manifests intensity and emotion as it’s main quality with subtlety, fluidity and interaction as central.

Pete Whittaker is a superb accompanist and soloist and drummer Tristan Banks (Verdict’s own!) is celebrated for his drive and invention.

The repertoire is edgy and engaging with a forceful drive and bravura performances….A must!

John Etheridge rightly enjoys a glowing reputation throughout the jazz world and beyond and has been described by Pat Metheny as, "One of the best guitarists in the world". He is a prodigiously gifted and creative player whose approach to music can only be described as 'eclectic' as he refuses to accommodate or even acknowledge artificial musical boundaries. His range is well illustrated by his years of touring and recording with the iconic Stephane Grappelli while simultaneously doing likewise with the legendary jazz-fusion group, The Soft Machine. John is equally at home on acoustic and electric guitar and his willingness to engage with so many styles is matched by his ability to excel in any of them. He has played with Yehudi Menuhin, Dizzie Gillespie, Herb Ellis, Mundell Lowe, Nigel Kennedy, Pat Metheny, Birelli Lagrene, Barney Kessel, Vic Juris and countless others. John's ability as an outstanding composer is sometimes overlooked but he is often under pressure from audiences to feature more of his own material.