AMERICAN blues guitar great Sherman Robertson and his band Bluesmove perform a rare local date when they take the stage at the auditorium in the Ardhowen Theatre in Enniskillen next Tuesday night, October 30.
Sherman is already considered a young master of zydeco, hard-swinging Texas electric blues, R&B and swampy Louisiana blues. He often surprises audiences with his ability to play R&B, zydeco and blues with a rock edge. "I use that driving, road-cooking type zydeco groove, and put blues on top of it," says Sherman. "It's basically rhythm and feel."
In June 2000, Robertson played at the Pioneer Valley Blues Festival in Massachusetts. Alligator president, Bruce Iglauer, was in the crowd. "He was always good," he says, "but when I saw him in June he was on fire. He ruled the stage, had the audience in the palm of his hand, and his just plain physical showmanship reminded me of Albert Collins. As soon as he walked off the stage I started talking about signing him. He's got that Texas energy, great guitar chops, and is a wonderful, soulful singer."
Sherman was born in Beaux Bridge, Louisiana and raised in Houston, Texas. He quickly earned a local reputation as a very good guitarist. As a teenager in the late 1960s, he spent six weeks on the road as lead guitarist with blues superstar Bobby 'Blue' Bland and also backed Junior Parker.
During the 1970's, he was content playing weekends while raising a family and holding down a 'regular' job until Clifton Chenier, the 'King Of Zydeco,' asked him to do some dates with his band.
The word on Sherman's talent began to spread. Paul Simon needed a guitar player to add some sounds to his Graceland album and he chose him. Soon after, legendary British producer Mike Vernon (John Mayall's Bluebreakers with Eric Clapton, Freddie King, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie) signed Robertson to Atlantic Records.
Sherman Robertson's long awaited CD, Guitar Man - Live, which was recorded at the Kwadendamme Blues Festival in 2005, is now available.
* Tickets for Sherman Robertson and Bluesmove are available from the Box Office on 028 6632 5440
