Alastair Greene
One of the many bold blues-rock guitarists who've surfaced in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alastair Greene distinguishes himself with a robust tone and oversized sense of swing, qualities he also conveys in his full-throated singing. Greene's 2001 debut, A Little Wiser, established the parameters of his oversized blues-rock, setting him on a path that found him maintaining a faithful audience through steady touring and recording -- he cut an album every few years between 2009's Walking in Circles and 2023's Alive in the New World -- while also branching out into collaborations. Although he was a successful sideman with such classic rockers as Starship featuring Mickey Thomas and Alan Parsons, he specialized in the blues, playing with Walter Trout, Sugaray Rayford, and appearing on Ruf's 2024 Blues Caravan with Katarina Pejak and Eric Johanson.
A native of Santa Barbara, California, Alastair Greene was born on April 18, 1971. The grandchild of trumpeter Alfred "Chico" Alvarez, a veteran of Stan Kenton's groundbreaking big band of the post-war years, Greene initially attempted piano and saxophone but gravitated toward guitar in his teens. In particular, he was drawn to the classic blues and blues-rock of the '60s, whether it was the Allman Brothers Band, Buddy Guy, or B.B. King, along with Stevie Ray Vaughan, who synthesized all those sounds. His adolescence was drenched in music: he played in his high school jazz band and rock with his own group at night. Greene spent a year at Santa Barbara City College before enrolling in the Berklee College of Music. The call of the road proved tempting, however, and he left Berklee to form his own band after two years at the institution.
Spending the '90s gigging with his own Alastair Greene Band, the guitarist amassed enough of a following to release his debut album, A Little Wiser, in 2001. Official Bootleg: Live in L.A. quickly followed in 2003, then he crossed paths with Alan Parsons. The art-rocker invited the guitarist to play on his 2004 album Valid Path and enlisted Greene for an American tour in 2009, after which he became an official part of Parsons' band. Greene took the occasional side gig, such as playing with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas.
Greene hadn't abandoned his solo career -- he released Walking in Circles in 2009, Through the Rain in 2011, and Trouble at Your Door in 2014 -- but Parsons remained a priority through the 2010s. With Dream Train in 2017, Greene focused on his solo career. The album received positive reviews, as did its 2018 sequel Live from the 805, and helped revive his status in blues circles, leading to a stint playing guitar for Sugaray Rayford in 2019. That year, Greene signed with Whiskey Bayou Records -- an imprint founded by Tab Benoit -- whittled his band down to a power trio and released The New World Blues in 2020. Alive in the New World followed in 2023. In 2024, he joined Ruf's Blues Caravan alongside Eric Johanson and Katarina Pejak.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
Discography
19 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Alive in the New World (Live)
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Jan. 20, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Come on in My Kitchen
Alastair Greene, Eric Johanson, Katarina Pejak
Blues - Released by Ruf Records on Mar. 8, 2024
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The New World Blues
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Oct. 23, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Little Wiser
Blues - Released by Alastair Greene on Jan. 1, 2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live from the 805
Blues - Released by Rip Cat Records on Jul. 28, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Through the Rain
Hard Rock - Released by Le Roi Records on Nov. 11, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Dream Train
Blues - Released by Rip Cat Records on Sep. 28, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Whipping Post
Rock - Released by Riatsala Music on Dec. 15, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Heroes (Acoustic Version)
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Apr. 2, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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If You Be My Baby
Blues - Released by Riatsala Music on Jun. 2, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wontcha Tell Me (Live)
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Jan. 6, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
When You Don't Know What to Do (Live)
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Dec. 2, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bayou Mile (Acoustic Version)
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Feb. 26, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Standing out Loud
Blues - To be released on May 17, 2024 by Ruf Records
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Living Today
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Sep. 11, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lies and Fear (Live in the Studio)
Blues - Released by Whiskey Bayou Records on Aug. 6, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
By the Way (Single Version)
Rock - Released by LeRoi Records on Oct. 16, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -