Eric Clapton is streaming audio of an unreleased 1995 recording with Tim Duffy of the Willie Brown track, “Mississippi Blues”, ahead of its inclusion on a charity album supporting the Music Maker Relief Foundation.
Due February 1, the nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Tim and Denise Duffy that helps traditional, southern musicians who live in poverty will release a compilation album, “Blue Muse”, as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
Duffy explains his recording with Clapton originated from a November 1995 meeting while he was working to launch the music-based charity.
“Eric noticed the 1930 Martin 00-18 sitting in the corner,” Duffy writes at musicmaker.org. “He told us he had not played guitar in some months and he asked (engineer) Mark Levinson if he could check it out. When Eric began to play it was spell binding and among the most amazing musical moments of my life. I picked up my guitar and quickly tuned it a 1/2 step up to match his and began to play some back up guitar licks that I learned from Guitar Gabriel.
“This particular cut began with Eric playing a slow blues in the key of A, and I backed him up with my simple rendition of the song. Eric knew the tune, I told him I learned it from a Stefan Grossman recording, and Eric knew the album.”
“This impromptu recording session with Eric,” Duffy adds, “led to numerous relationships that would further the mission of the Music Maker Relief Foundation and help many musicians living in poverty.”
To learn more about and/or to donate to the Music Maker Relief Foundation, visit musicmaker.org.
Clapton recently topped the US Holiday Album charts with his first full-length Christmas album, “Happy Xmas”, when the project debuted at No. 1 on the seasonal chart, which is published weekly from mid-October through early January each year.
The guitarist has also announced a series of three shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall next May that will see the 73-year-old deliver his only UK performances in 2019.
See also:
Eric Clapton announces Royal Albert Hall concerts
Eric Clapton tops US Holiday Albums chart with Happy Xmas
Eric Clapton announces Christmas album release
VIDEO: Eric Clapton performs Slowhand rarity at Greenwich Town Party
Search Eric Clapton at hennemusic
