On July 20, master of the blues Walter Trout will perform at Club Soda, touring in support of his new album “We’re All In This Together.” The album features the likes of 14 veteran blues musicians, including Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Randy Bachman, John Mayall, among several others.
Living the Dream
Trout has been performing around the world for nearly the last 50 years. In the 60’s and 70’s he scored gigs with John Lee Hooker and Joe Tex. In the 80’s he was invited to play with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers – an opportunity that he landed from playing in Canned Heat. He eventually broke out on his own in the late 80’s, as the Walter Trout Band, and has since released over two dozen albums and live recordings and has been featured on numerous collaborations.
Beating the Odds
In 2013 Trout was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and needed to undergo transplant surgery in 2015. “I’m really lucky. I was on my back for nearly a year and almost died”, says Trout. “After I got out of the hospital, I had to re-learn how to speak, how to walk, and I had to re-learn how to play the guitar.”
However at age 66 “I feel like I’m in the best years of my life”, he explains. “I feel great physically, I’m playing better than ever. It’s been quite a ride and it’s not over yet, and I’m loving every minute of it.”
New Perspectives
His 2015 release, Battle Scars, was “really and intense process”, says Trout. “It was like I had post-traumatic stress disorder and I just needed to talk about it.”
For his new album “I just wanted to have fun”, he explains. “Writing this album was really joyous. I didn’t try to get into deep lyrics or anything like that. It was just about having fun with my friends.”
This album is also his first to feature his son Jon on guitar. “It’s pretty incredible. Part of the fun is getting to work with one of my kids. Jon is also my road manager”, says Trout.
Double Entendre
While his new album represents a gathering of long-time friends, it also reflects on the polarized political climate in the United States. As Trout explains: “It’s a message to all of us that we need to keep in mind that we’re all in this together, and in the long run whether you’re on the left or on the right, I think we all want the same thing. We just have different ideas of how to go about it and how to get it. But it’s also just a group of friends experiencing the joy of making music together.”
Catch Walter Trout live in Toledo, on Thursday, July 20 at Club Soda. This event is part of the Sizzling Summertime Blues Series hosted by the Black Swamp Blues Society. Tickets are $25 for non-members and $20 for members.
