Grant Street :: Education by Design Store

Editorial Review
Just as Muhammad Ali once boasted that he could "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," Louisiana's Sonny Landreth can make his slide guitar roar like a rocket ship and dance like a ballerina. As this live set recorded on his home turf attests, few guitarists combine such power with such precision. Landreth’s veteran rhythm section of bassist David Ranson and drummer Kenneth Blevins provides whipcrack support on a set of supercharged instrumentals ("Native Stepson," "Z. Rider," "Pedal to Metal") and original blues ("Broken-Hearted Road," "Wind in Denver"), building to a climax with the guitarist’s signature tune, "Congo Square." Though Landreth established himself as an ace sideman from his apprenticeship with zydeco kingpin Clifton Chenier through his extended stint with John Hiatt, he really cuts loose with his own trio, generating a dynamic propulsion that threatens to levitate this Lafayette dancehall. --Don McLeese
Cached date: AWS Called=true

Customer Reviews

This CD Rocks!

2007-01-11
My first Sony Landreth CD. Lots of great songs and rocking tunes. Highly recommend.

Got Slide?

2007-01-11
My perpective is a little skewed from seeing Sonny live last weekend. This recording is the one that made me seek out his show. He is one of the all time greats, and keeps getting better. This recording delivers a great colection of his signature sounds and songs. Don't light a candle for this, you might knock it over dancing.

Greatest Rock/Blues Slide "Live" Album of All-Time

2006-12-07
This thing is stupifyingly good.

I have all of Sonny's recordings. This is right up there with "The Road We're On" in quality. In fact, Grant Street has a couple of tunes from "Road": All About You and Gone Pecan. Of course, Sonny just blows the doors off in the live setting.

That stuff that people have said about Sonny being only an "OK" singer? I just laugh when I hear that. Forget about it. Sonny does just fine there, and anyway, it doesn't mean a thing. You see, quite simply this is some of the greatest guitar work you will EVER hear, so it's immaterial. The guitar playing is so utterly incredible that any singing that might take place is pretty much incidental. Sonny does two or three sublime instrumentals on Grant Street, and on the others he sings and throws out lightning bolts. This is not what you'd call subtle or delicate music; it's heavy blues with a strong dose of Louisiana Zydeco thrown in; every tune just ROCKS!

BUY THIS ALBUM AND PLAY IT LOUD! YOU WILL LOVE IT! BUY IT FOR ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!

Couldn't be better

2006-12-01
I don't think I've ever heard a tighter and more solid live recording, especially not one being performed by a three piece band. Excellent musicians, and you can't be anything but impressed by Sonny's skills as a guitar player. There ain't a bad song, but "Wind in Denver", "Blues Attack" and "Pedal to Metal" stands out. Highly recommended!

A "Must Have" for your collection

2006-11-13
It doesn't get much better than this. If you love the blues, this album is for you. I rate it on par with Johnny Winter's "Captured Live", another monster live blues album.

Speed isn't everything

2008-02-18
It should be said that Sonny Landreth is blindingly fast on guitar. Yet, after trying to like this album for more than a week, I just do not. And the reason is that my ears detect no soul at all in his playing. I am reminded of several other virtuoso guitarists (Walter Trout and Johnny Winter most specifically) who make an awful lot of noise, but very little listenable music. I am also missing entirely the Blues aspect of this recording. It's rock-and-roll. A little more attention to melody and continuity, and less fret-finger acrobatics, would help a lot.

kick butt music

2007-12-03
this is about as high energy as a trio could get. But it's a lot more than just noise: excellent guitar work, solid vocals. not dinner-time music. but if you want music that will blow the roof off your head, this could be it.

Landreth at his best!

2007-11-07
I caught Sonny on tour last year and thought he was great. Almost all the material from his performance is on this CD and it really showcases his music. I am really impressed with Sonny and his bandmates in concert and here on the CD. Sonny's voice has really improved over the years and is now a strength. Of course his guitar playing ranges from excellent to phenomenal as always. I think this CD really does catch Landreth at his best. Every fan should own this recording and it's a great place for any newcomers to Sonny's sound to start.

A Little Known Great Ameican Blues Guitarist

2007-09-23
Sonny Landreth has been kicking around for years and I've seen him as a member of John Hiatt & the Goners. My first exposure to him solo was at this years "Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival" outside of Chicago. After I got home that night, I immediately went onto Amazon.com and order his live CD "Grant Street". From the opening instrumental "Native Stepson" through the closing trck "Congo Square" this CD is filled with outstanding blues guitar playing and slide guitar playing as well. Other than being from Louisiana, I'm nt sure why he's classified as a country artist. This is pure bare bones Amrican power Blues. I like Sonny's voice too it blends wel with this style of music. He is backed by just a bass player and a drummer but the sound is full and brilliant. I will be purchasing more Sonny Landreth Cd's in the not too distant future.

Quite simply? Fantastic!

2007-06-13
There's not a guy who's heard this CD on my stereo or iPod who hasn't asked, "Who is that playing the guitar?" Yeah, no kidding, Sonny Landreth is da bomb, and Grant Street is a fantastic CD. Buy it if you enjoy superb guitar playing, you could not possibly be disappointed.Grant Street