The forgotten guitarist Eric Clapton described as a “genius”
Eric Clapton has stood side-by-side with countless giants of the guitar since he began his journey more than 60 years ago, and knows talent when it’s presented before him.
He’s not one to get blinded by star power, and instead, Clapton’s opinion, like any true aficionado of the blues, is wholly swayed by the feeling that an artist gives him rather than how many records they’ve sold.
Clapton’s obsession with the blues was encouraged by John Mayall, who was a mentor to him in the 1960s, taking him under his wing and recruiting him into The Bluesbreakers. In addition to giving him access to his brain, which was a fountain of musical knowledge, Mayall also gave Clapton the keys to his record collection, which opened his mind to a whole new string of sounds.
Before this partnership, Clapton was on the brink of permanently leaving the music industry. Instead, Mayall changed his life in more ways than one, including passing on his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre they both lived and breathed.
To this day, Clapton remains on the lookout for new guitarists who are coming up with an innovative sound, recently giving his seal of approval to Mk.gee, who he says plays the instrument “like nobody else“.
That being said, Clapton isn’t one to hand out praise on a whim, and when he uses superlative terms, it carries considerable weight. Clapton reserves such distinction for artists he holds in the highest regard, and the great Kurt Rosenwinkel certainly sits in that category.
Rosenwinkel may not be a household name or a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, but he’s highly respected within the jazz community and is considered a true virtuoso among those who know best, like Clapton.
The American established himself in the early 1990s, which has led to him collaborating with Clapton on a number of occasions. Outside of their work together, the jazz extraordinaire has also contributed his skills to a wide range of artists, from Joel Frahm to Q-Tip, throughout his celebrated career.
Rosenwinkel, who remains dedicated to keeping the spirit of jazz alive and vibrant, first performed with Clapton in 2013 at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, which proved to be the start of a fruitful partnership.
While most guitarists would feel upstaged by having Clapton feature on one of their records, Rosenwinkel instead saw it as a golden opportunity. Rather than trying to outdo each other, their differing styles complemented each other magnificently on ‘Little Dream’, which appeared on Rosenwinkel’s album, Caipi.
During an interview with Uncut in 2015, Clapton was full of praise for his peer, stating, “Oh yeah! God, yeah. One of my heroes is Kurt Russell. [Laughs] What!? Not Kurt Russell, Kurt Rosenwinkel. He’s a jazz guitar player. Very fluid. He’s a genius, he really is, and a lovely man. He has the ability to play directly what he hears in his head. I can’t do that.”
Continuing to heap praise on the Philadelphian, Clapton added: “I go to the same old phraseology, or I have to work things out in advance. He’s a proper jazz musician, and I’m in awe of that. He’s got up to play with me a couple of times, we’ve played a blues, or ‘Cocaine’, and he just flies like a bird. I think, man, that’s a wonderful thing to be able to do.” As complements go, it doesn’t get much higher than that, especially from a three-time Rock and Hall Hall of Fame inductee like Clapton.
Of course, Rosenwinkel also has a high opinion of Clapton, and their friendship is an endless source of joy for him.”We have a beautiful relationship,” Rosenwinkel reflected in an interview with Hyper Locrian about Clapton in 2021. “Eric is a good friend; he has really helped us a lot. He has helped me with Caipi, he has been very supportive of the things we are doing with Heartcore Records. He’s such a down-to-earth guy. We’re always in touch, texting each other, sending music back and forth.”
Aside from Clapton’s technical gift, Rosenwinkel is equally enamoured with him from a human perspective, explaining, “He has a great creative spirit. A very kind, generous man. We’re seeing what we can do together. We are talking about recording a duo album together. There’s great potential to collaborate. He’s interested in what I’m interested in: Fostering creative output from where you can find it.”
While that collaborative album has yet to be released, both artists seem determined to make it happen and reignite the creative spark that burns bright when they unite. If it does, it will be the stuff of dreams for those who like to hear guitars sing.
