Eric Sardinas

Electric resonator guitarist Eric Sardinas comes from the loud and proud school of blues boogie: Johnny Winter, Albert Collins, and Elmore James, by way of rock & roll. His playing is aggressive -- his lead work is done exclusively with a slide on a custom-built electric metal resonator dobro guitar. Sardinas records infrequently but tours almost constantly. His debut, Treat Me Right, drew favorable yet lazy comparisons to Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood. 2001's Devil's Train fared better critically, and 2003's Black Pearls showcased the funky side of blues-rock. Following a five-year break, he reemerged with Eric Sardinas & Big Motor in 2008, showcasing mature songwriting and a grittier R&B sound. The band released Sticks and Stones in 2011 and the European-only Boomerang in 2015. After a nine-year recording break, Sardinas returned with Midnight Junction, showcasing a newly road-tested band. Sardinas was born in Florida in 1970 and took to the guitar early on (age six). Although left-handed, he learned how to play the instrument right-handed. Charlie Patton, Bukka White, and Muddy Waters were all early inspirations, as was original blues-rocker Johnny Winter. As a teen he honed his playing chops by performing as a busker on street corners in Fort Lauderdale. He left Florida for Los Angeles in 1990, put together a band (bassist Paul Loranger and drummer Scott Palacios), and began gigging in earnest, initially traveling up and down the West Coast and then throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia, gathering rave reviews for his trio's incendiary live show, which often involved pyrotechnics à la Jimi Hendrix. Despite logging hundreds of thousands of road miles, Sardinas didn't release a recording until 1998's Treat Me Right on the now-defunct Evidence label. American critics drew endless comparisons between Sardinas and Stevie Ray Vaughan, despite the fact that the two men literally sounded nothing alike. In 2000, ever the showman, Sardinas lit his guitar on fire on a stage in Sydney, Australia and suffered third degree burns on his left wrist. Devil's Train followed in 2001 also on Evidence. Produced by the guitarist, it featured his road band and special guest David "Honeyboy" Edwards (who appeared on his own "Gambling Man Blues"). Among the set's 13 tracks were 11 originals. Again, while Europeans embraced Sardinas' raw, skyscraping sound, American writers were too busy referencing comparisons to other players and criticizing his songwriting. That sentiment changed somewhat with 2003's Black Pearls. Featuring drummer Mike Dupke as a replacement for Palacios, critics tended to focus on the few acoustic numbers such as "Big Red Line," "Old Smyrna Road," and the wrangling title cut. It peaked at 11 on the Blues Albums chart. Sardinas toured incessantly for nearly three years before coming home and building a brand-new band with keyboardist Dave Schulz, bassist Levell Price, drummer Patrick Caccia, and vocalist Gia Ciambotti. Billed as Eric Sardinas & Big Motor, he signed to Steve Vai's Favored Nations Entertainment label and issued an eponymous album. It drew almost universal praise for its diverse originals and choice covers of Elvis Presley's "Burning Love," fellow Floridian Tony Joe White's "As the Crow Flies" (made immortal by Irish bluesman Rory Gallagher), and the wooly Southern blues boogie jams including "Find My Heart" and "Just Like That," and "Door to Diamond." Sardinas & Big Motor toured Europe and the U.S. opening for Vai. They followed it with Sticks and Stones in 2011, issued jointly by Provogue in Europe and metal label Megaforce in the U.S. Big Motor showcased new drummer Chris Fraizer as well as a four-voice backing chorus in 11 Sardinas originals. The album's standout track, however, was the instrumental "Behind the 8." 2014's Boomerang was issued in Europe by the venerable German Jazzhaus label in Germany. It was recorded by a trio version of Big Motor sans Schulz (who appeared on a single cut). Sardinas recruited Shooter Jennings' drummer Bryan Keeling for the recording date and subsequent marathon tours. It would be Sardinas' last recording for nine years. He continued to tour internationally as a festival and club headliner across Europe and Asia. In 2023, Sardinas released Midnight Junction on earMUSIC. Produced by Matt Gruber, the lineup saw the return of Fraizer on drums and Schulz on keys with former Lenny Kravitz/Sheila E bassist Koko Powell. Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite contributed harmonica to "Swamp Cooler." Sardinas wrote 12 of the set's 13 tracks, with the only cover a ferocious reading of Rory Gallagher's "Laundromat."
© Cub Koda & Thom Jurek /TiVo