A Blues Player in Need of a Little Aging
By Natalie Nichols
Can a 16-year-old kid really play the blues? That question became worth
pondering about a half-hour into teenage guitarist Jonny Lang's nearly
two-hour free concert on Saturday at the Hard Rock Cafe in West Hollywood.
The Minneapolis wunderkind's decent chops and fine voice carried him that
far, but as the evening wore on, his limitations negated even the good-natured
bar-band vibe. Backed by four guys who were probably all old enough to
be his dad, Lang drew from classic blues and his debut album, "Lie to Me,"
in a performance that was earthier than the slick recording. The young
guitarist's playing reflected an obvious love of blues great Albert Collins,
but his style lacked personality (despite a certain visceral charm), while
his soloing became repetitive and was often uninspired. The good grooves,
such as B.B. King's "Gambler's Blues," were scarce, and Lang made some
poor choices (Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic," for instance, far
exceeded his capabilities). The almost total lack of sexual charge in his
performance effectively neutered the many songs about yearning and betrayal,
not to mention making Sonny Boy Williamson's lascivious "Good Morning Little
School Girl" disconcertingly tame. Chalk it up to youthful inexperience,
but Lang's treatment of the blues as good clean fun was mighty unsatisfying.
The boy has potential, but he's not quite ready to serve the masters. He's
got to live a little more before he can really play the blues.