I’m not a fan of most country music, and the few country artists I do enjoy tend to be either universally loved (Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, etc.) or cool underground acts (The Groovy Rednecks). Part of the reason I eschew country acts is because the music that I hear tends to be very simplistic- much like all the current pop music of which I’m also not a fan. That’s why today’s artist is such a rarity- a virtuoso guitar player that plays classic country music.
Junior Brown is a fantastic musician- he plays guitar riffs and solos that would make Eddie Van Halen proud, combined with lyrics that hearken back to Waylon Jennings. He’s probably most well known for appearing in a Gap commercial in the late 90s. Here’s his official video for Highway Patrol. As you’ll see, he plays a double necked guitar that gives him access to a slide steel guitar in addition to a regular one.
Note that his drummer only needs a snare and a hi-hat to play along with him- Junior Brown proves that making great music isn’t about having fancy equipment and a million guitar pedals. It’s about a great musician getting sounds out of an instrument that others wouldn’t be able to. And to prove that he could have played any style he wanted and been just as good, check out this video below that has him playing a medley of great rock songs from different eras.
Go check out Junior Brown, you won’t regret it!
