Walter Trout Essentials

After getting his start apprenticing with blues legends like John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton in Los Angeles, Walter Trout spent much of his career as a lead guitarist in other people’s bands, first with Canned Heat and then with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Eventually, Trout struck out on his own with help from the Netherlands record label Provogue, releasing a number of successful records among European revivalists that showcased his singing as well as his blues guitar chops. With the 2012 release Blues for the Modern Daze, Trout returned to an acoustic, traditional blues style while playing all original tunes including “Pray for Rain” and “Blues for My Baby.” For the fittingly named collection of collaborations, We’re All in This Together, Trout collaborated with fellow modern blues legend Joe Bonamassa on the title track and Allman Brothers alum Warren Haynes on “The Sky Is Crying.” Being many decades into his career hasn’t stopped Trout from embracing his more rock ’n’ roll influences on zeitgeisty material like “Sign of the Times” and “Welcome to the Human Race.”