It is titled “Top-Shelf SRV Music”  from Vintage Guitar Magazine. 

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Friends was released a few months back, and IMHO, no matter what Stevie plays on, or who Stevie played with, his style and his sound was always recognizable.

A true fan thirsts for the next album, the next concert, and the next street side appearance but in the case of our late great blue’s legend that will not be happening, we can only continue to enjoy what has been released and continue to be hopeful that there is more hidden in the archives and estate.

Have we heard better Stevie? I would say absolutely, someone gave me a track of Stevie performing I’m Crying and the lyrics are classic  heartache, soul searching and down to the knitty gritty of blue’s music.   The track I got, seems to date back some many years, but is it signature Stevie, I can hear it, and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t listen to at least one of his famous tunes and the scream of his guitar shakes my bones.

Everyone can critique Stevie & Friends in their own way, but for those of us who; no matter the day, no matter the mood, when you hear that first cord hit, you immediately feel a smile embrace your being, and you instantly are thrown into the depths of what Stevie Ray Vaughan was all about.  He was a man that walked a road not much different than most of us, with questions and uncertainty as he states in his AA speech on page six  he says….

I used to think that if it wasn’t done my way, that it was completely wrong and it couldn’t be anything close to right because you just didn’t know. I know it’s kinda, it’s…sometimes I found out that it’s real comfortable not knowing everything…

Chew on that a little while..as my husband always says to me.. stop being an “in-charge”  do something that envokes your passions, do something that you love, and remember…..once in awhile, to use the words…”no doubt” they can be profound.  

I will confess, the spirit that guides me through life, aka – guardian angel, spirit guide… always uses the expression, “no-doubt” so I felt it fitting to add that to the bottom of Stevie’s Ray Vaughans Hat.. No Doubt, either don’t doubt what’s in front of you, or in awe.. you can sit back and revel in what is truly a miracle happening around you.

I painted Stevie’s Ray Vaughans Signature hat, because of it being an icon and a statement. I started this many months back on a solid semi-gloss back ground of a shabby piece of particle board, it had divets and grooves, that lent a bit of a challenge factor to the entire piece, trying to get the curves of the hat correct.  This was done entirely in acrylics, with a smidge of enamel paint for the edges of the hat, and the feather for texture.