ABOUT

„The Blues sound different in different places, but on a lonely rainy night – whether you’re in New Orleans or New York or Dresden – they feel the same.“

Chris Whitley’s own words might capture his essence best, a man both lit up and hounded by life itself . His life’s quest was to transform the raw archaic Blues of the Mississippi Delta into his time. But maybe even more than being an outstanding and unique blues musician, Chris Whitley was a poet. A blues poet. His spiritual, sexual, often apocalyptic lyrics show a man’s tortured soul. His poetry lifts up, tears down, rips reality into its bare, absurd, tiny moments. Considered to be one of the most authentic and expressive musicians of the late 20th century by critics and fans Chris Whitley remained widely unknown to a bigger audience.

„Indian summer,
I need some return.
So hard to get warm now,
So easy to get burned.“

For this year’s 10th anniversary of his tragic death a variety of musicians take their hats off to him and play his songs on a tribute record, in remembrance of a great genius and in order to raise awareness of his work to a potential new audience. The participating artists are as diverse as the various musical pieces published on the album. Musicians in the fields of Jazz, Blues, Folk, Progressive Rock and Experimental will be interpreting Chris Whitley’s songs in their very own ways. Some of the contributing artists had been close to Chris Whitley, some had been making music with him, others simply got inspired by him. But what all of these musicians have in common is their great admiration for Chris Whitley’s musical achievement. The proceeds of this production will be donated to „The Actor’s Fund“ – an organisation which provides help to musicians in need which also supported Whitley during the last and maybe darkest period of his life.