Andy Aledort & Lucky Peterson - Tete a Tete

Andy Aledort &  Lucky Peterson - Tete a Tete - 2007

Andy Aledort has been a significant figure in the international music scene over the last 20 years. As a senior editor for the top guitar-oriented music magazines Guitar World, Guitar For The Practicing Musician, Guitar Extra, Guitar Legends and  Guitar World Acoustic, among others, his work is unsurpassed as a music transcriber, instructional columnist and journalist.

He has authored over 200 books of guitar transcriptions as well as a series of guitar-related instructional books and videos/DVDs, all of which are distributed worldwide, for the leading music publishers Hal Leonard Corp., Warner Brothers Publishing and Cherry Lane Music.

Aledort is a performing musician as well: along with leading his own ensembles in the New York/tri-state area, he is often tapped for high-profile appearances with artists such as Buddy Guy, Dickey Betts, and the Allman Brothers band.

As a session player, Andy Aledort was called upon to recreate the Band Of Gypsys -era playing of Hendrix for recording sessions with the original Gypsys themselves, Billy Cox and drummer Buddy Miles, where Aledort was required to recreate note-for-note renditions of Hendrix’s incendiary live performances of “Machine Gun” and “Power of Soul” from the classic Band of Gypsys album. He performed with the Band of Gypsys at both the 2001 and 2002 Street Scene concerts in San Diego, CA, as part of two ambitious Tribute to Hendrix concerts featuring such guest guitarists as Andy Summers of the Police, Slash, Stephen Stills, Mick Taylor of Rolling Stones fame, Vernon Reid (Living Color) and others, as well as the big Jimi Hendrix 60th birthday bash at the EMP Museum, created by Microsoft’s Paul Allen, in November of 2002.

In the summer of 2001, Aledort was tapped for session work with Double Trouble (Tommy Shannon, bass, and Chris Layton, drums), bandmates of Stevie Ray Vaughan, in order to recreate the guitar work of Stevie Ray, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Freddie King, and Johnny Winter. He also appears with Double Trouble on two Hot Licks instructional videos.

Lucky Peterson was born in Buffalo New York and played his first gig at age three. By the time he was five, he had already recorded his first single, produced by none other than the legendary Willie Dixon. Before Lucky turned six, his career had been propelled into the national spotlight with television appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and even What’s My Line?

As a child prodigy, Lucky was somewhat of a novelty act. Now he is a true blues veteran. Over the last three decades, Lucky has played to audiences all over the world, dazzling both fans and critics with his multi-instrumental talents (he plays keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and trumpet), his soulful vocal style and his youthful approach to the blues.

Born Judge Kenneth Peterson in 1963, Lucky was raised on music in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, His father, James Peterson, was a blues singer and owner of the Governor’s Inn, a northern version of a Deep South “chitlin’ circuit” roadhouse club. Artists like Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor played there regularly. Virtually growing up on stage, little Lucky began playing almost before he began talking.

He started on drums, but after hearing the famed Bill Doggett one night, Lucky became fascinated by the huge Hammond B-3 organ. “Bill had a fit trying to keep me from it,” recalls Lucky. After some lessons from Doggett and the legendary Jimmy Smith, Lucky focused most of his musical energy on the organ. In his spare time, he also mastered bass and piano, becoming good enough to sit in with his father’s band and back touring artists like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Jimmy Reed. “At first, people wouldn’t believe he could play so well,” says James Peterson. “They would think the organ was rigged.”

By the time Lucky was five, word of this child prodigy had spread among the blues community. Willie Dixon, a friend of James Peterson, heard little Lucky and produced the boy’s first record, a single entitled 1,2,3,4 and a follow-up album for Chicago’s Today Records. The single hit the airwaves with a bang and the national television appearances followed.

As Lucky continued to grow, he honed his instrumental skills by learning from and jamming with some of the best blues players in the world. When Little Milton’s band came up short an organ player one night, Milton asked the then 17-year-old Lucky to sit in. One gig was all it took for Milton to fall in love with Lucky’s playing. He asked Lucky to join the band permanently. After seven months, Lucky had become Milton’s bandleader. Opening shows with his own 45-minute set on vocals and keyboards, Lucky’s three-year stint with Milton led to an equally long gig with Bobby “Blue” Bland as Bobby’s featured soloist.

During a break in Bobby’s touring schedule, Lucky headed to Europe on a package tour billed as “Young Blues Giants.” There he recorded his second career album this time for the French label Isabel Records. In 1988, Lucky left Bland’s touring band, relocated to Florida’s Tampa Bay area and began concentrating on a solo career. His reputation quickly led to regular session work for tiny Florida-based King Snake Records. His funky keyboards sparked Kenny Neal’s Big New From Baton Rouge!!, Rufus Thomas’ That Woman Is Poison! and Lazy Lester’s Harp And Soul, which were all released by the more visible Alligator Records label. In 1989, Alligator released Lucky’s third solo outing, Lucky Strikes! Lucky co-wrote three songs for the album and played all of the keyboard parts and all but one of the guitar solos.

Alligator’s promotion helped to bring Lucky’s music to the attention of radio stations and music critics nationwide. They liked what they heard. Billboard called Lucky “…a prodigy whose raw talent bodes well for his future as a leader.” Keyboard said, “Peterson is a 26-year-old blues master.” The album received airplay on nearly 200 radio stations nationwide, and Lucky toured the U.S. several times.

Lucky’s next Alligator recording, 1990’s Triple Play, picked up right where Lucky Strikes! left off, again featuring his dynamic organ fills and leads with equal emphasis on his stinging lead guitar and soulful vocals. The material blended straight-ahead blues, Memphis soul and funky grooves that placed Lucky Peterson on the cutting edge of the blues.

01. 'Til My Dyin' Day
02. No More
03. Leavin' to Stay
04. Get Outta My Bed!
05. Not Guilty
06. Tete a Tete
07. C'Mon
08. Talk Is Cheap
09. Tribute to Albert Collins

Lucky Peterson - Guitar, Organ, Vocals
Andy Aledort - Guitar, Vocals
Larry McCray - Guitar, Vocals (7)

Burt Teague - Guitar (2,4,5,8,9)
Froc - Guitar (1)
Mary Taylor - Vocals (1)
Mike Nunno- Bass
John Pell - Drums (2,3,5,7,8)
Jason Arnold - Drums (4,6,9)
Trevor Somerville - Drums (1)
Bruce Feiner - Piano (5), Tenor Sax (9)
Robert Feiner - Tenor Sax
Jamie Finegan - Trumpet



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