Sonny Landreth is an American blues musician from southwest Louisiana. He is best known for his slide guitar playing, having developed a technique where he also frets notes and plays chords and chord fragments by fretting behind the slide while he plays. Eric Clapton has said that Landreth is one of the most advanced guitarists in the world and one of the most under-appreciated.
Landreth has released fifteen records over a career spanning over 35 years. During that time he has collaborated with some of the guitar greats, including Clapton and has contributed to recordings by Mark Knopfler, Little Feat and Govt Mule amongst others. He won the Blues Music Award in the 'Instrumentalist - Guitar' category 2016.
Outward Bound was first released in 1992, with John Hiatt sitting in on two songs, including the galloping “Common-Law Love”. Landreth was backed by a solid three piece core band freeing him up to play electric and acoustic bottleneck, lead, rhythm and dobro guitar. A high point is “Yokamoma,” an instrumental track which is right at the centre of this record.
Outward Bound was followed by South of I-10 in 1995. Landreth uses a wide variety of slide guitar styles and the album featured his first collaboration with Mark Knopfler. The backing band was made up of various other New Orleans musicians including the late Allen Toussaint on piano. The music combines the best of zydeco, New Orleans R&B, Cajun, and rock & roll. Disk 1 Soldier of Fortune, Back to Bayou Teche, When You're Away, Sacred Ground, New Landlord, Speak of The Devil, Yokamoma, Planet Cannonball, Common-Law Love, Bad Weather, Outward Bound
Disk 2 Shooting for the Moon, Creole Angel, Native Stepson, Orphans of the Motherland, Congo Square, Turning Wheel, South of I-10, Cajun Waltz, Mojo Boogie, C'est chaud, Great Gulf Wind, Great Gulf Wind (reprise)