The Slide

Tom Larsen is known among guitar players as a slide player’s slide player. His command of this style of blues guitar is one of the aspects of his musicianship that sets him apart from other blues men. Tom taught himself slide back in his acoustic-only days (early 70’s) by listening to two record albums by Robert Johnson - "King of the Delta Blues". By repeated playing of the songs, especially the original version of "Crossroads", he absorbed not only the specific "licks" of the song but also the subtler aspects of phrasing, tone and timing. "I also enjoyed Charlie Patton, Son House and Blind Willie McTell, but Robert Johnson was my major tutor because I got to his albums first." "Once you decipher his style and can closely approximate it, the styles of most other slide players are much easier to figure out." "Robert Johnson was The Man." Tom was especially impressed with the acoustic slide on Johnny Winter’s first Columbia album, specifically the tune "Dallas". "It is very rough, authentic, bluesy and technically nimble all at once." "That tune is tough!"     More....