<back - ALBERT COLLINS - Oftentimes, the greatest Bluesmen have to wait a lifetime to get the full recognition and respect due them. One obvious case is the redoubtable and extraordinary Albert Collins, dubbed 'The Master of the Telecaster', 'The Iceman', or 'The Razor Blade'. Gratitude reigns eternal for those patented frost-encrusted single note leads of his, always assertive and stinging, with each one so persuasively compelling. They seemed to linger forever in mid-air, enchanting us much like those proverbial ice crystals during the chill winter night. Invariably, a staccato of machine gun-like blasts followed, and then perhaps a gentle melodic interlude to augment the sense of drama n' dynamic tension. Albert Collins' legacy still commands huge clout.

Born 1932 in Leona Tx, Albert moved to Houston at age 7 years, and a few years later started hanging out with the likes of Johnny 'Clyde' Copeland and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. His first instrument was keyboards, his idol being Hammond B-3 organist Jimmy McGriff (with whom he eventually recorded Cold Snap nearly 40 years later). In 1950, Collins switched to guitar, and started checking out cats like T-Bone Walker, Gatemouth Brown, John Lee Hooker, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. He also wrote a bevy of groove-heavy instrumentals in the late 50’s, with catchy titles like The Freeze, Sno-Cone, Don't Lose Your Cool, De-Frost, and Icy Blue. His regional following assumed national status with 1962’s million-selling Frosty. Blues Rock giant Jimi Hendrix always acknowledged Collins' incredible influence, while Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, and Coco Montoya (who drummed with him) have always idolized Collins. Albert Collins opened regularly for groups like Canned Heat and Allman Bros, at venues like the Fillmore West. His next major break was getting signed to Alligator Records in 1977. Six masterful releases, starting with 1978’s Ice Pickin’ followed by Live In Japan, Frozen Alive, Frostbite, and Don't Lose Your Cool, would culminate in the 1985 Showdown, a collaboration with Robert Cray and Johnny 'Clyde' Copeland that racked up numerous richly-deserved awards including a Grammy. catapulting Collins to Blues super-stardom. His droll delivery perfectly suited those slightly absurd tales of domestic mishaps, via such well-crafted and perceptive tunes like Mastercharge, Too Many Dirty Dishes, I Ain't Drunk, Lights On Nobody Home, and more. The final 1989-1993 period featured releases on Pointblank, including Iceman and Collins Mix. Retrospectives such as The Complete Imperial Recordings were issued. Albert Collins was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall Of Fame in 1986. -Gary Tate/ MP3- I Ain't Drunk |