Meeting a Hero
When I was 22 or 23 and just starting to play professionally, I discovered recordings by British slide guitar player Sam Mitchell. Sam played in both traditional and modern styles, wrote his own songs, and created extraordinary renditions of old country blues from the 1930s. He had become a true slide guitar master — performing as a solo artist, working as a studio musician, and touring with artists including Long John Baldry and Dana Gillespie. As a studio musician, he played on three songs of Rod Stewart's LP "Every Picture Tells A Story."
Years later, I learned that this same Sam Mitchell was living in Copenhagen — just 90 minutes away. I packed my freshly released CD, took the train, and went to introduce himself at a Mojo Blues Club gig. What he expected to be a brief, respectful hello became a five-year collaboration, a record, and a friendship.
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