The Walter Trout Band pays tribute to Walter Trout along with special guests protégé Danny Bryant and Walter’s son Jon Trout.
Walter Trout started in the late ’60s in New Jersey and relocated to LA playing with various artists and bands including Percy Mayfield, John Lee Hooker, and Joe Tex before playing with Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Trout began gaining success while recording and touring on his own as The Walter Trout Band in 1989.
Recently, Walter Trout was in desperate need of a liver transplant. He is a passionate musician and continued performing up until the last months leading up to the liver transplant. His son, Jon, confirmed the transplant was successful and Trout is expected to make a full recovery.
Trouts 2014 tour was canceled leaving him and his family with little income and funds have been raised to help him during his recovery and rehabilitation through this long and costly process.
Jon announced that the show was a tribute to Walter Trout and his career and that they were touring to raise awareness of the need for organ donors. Jon is asking that all consider becoming an organ donor and mentioned that Trout is alive today because of an organ donor.
Check the organ donor box when you renew your license or you can check out more information for organ donating at OrganDonor.gov
Although Walter Trout has some big shoes to fill, Danny Bryant fills them well and has left his own foot print in the blues scene. Danny hails from England and is a phenomenal blues guitarist in his own right. He has played to many sold out rooms and festivals across Europe and around the world.
Chan’s was a usual hang out and stop for Walter Trout … Jon Trout, at the age of 10, and his younger brothers would take the stage in between sets
Danny was going through his parent’s record collection at the age of 15, and had an instant connection when he discovered Trout’s music. Danny wrote a letter to Trout sparking their ongoing relationship of mentor and protégé.
The first set started with Blues Came Callin’, Reason I’m Gone, and Take Me Higher. The next song, When Dad Played the Blues, is what the blues is all about. Jon told the story of how he wrote the song about his father while he was struggling through his recent illness.
Danny and Jon traded licks with Sammy “Hammond Sam” Avila on the keys with Michael Leasure on drums and Rick Napp on bass holding down the tight bottom end of the rhythm section. They finished their set with Working Overtime, Sammy in G, and Best of Me.
I talked with John Chan, the owner of Chan’s, between sets and he explained that this was somewhat of a homecoming for Jon Trout. Chan went on to say that Chan’s was a usual hang out and stop for Walter Trout and his family. Chan mentioned that Jon Trout, at the age of 10, and his younger brothers would take the stage in between sets and play a song or two whenever Walter Trout was at Chan’s.
The second set went into overdrive kicking off with Collin’s Shuffle, Just As I Am, Hoochie Coochie, and Sweet As A Flower. Jon jumped back on for Slow Blues followed by Serve Me Right To Suffer.
The band made their way back stage to the vault at the end of the set to the entire crowd on their feet with a standing ovation. Yes, a vault. Chan’s was once a bank and the vault including the massive vault door is still in place.
The crowd was still on their feet cheering when the band returned for their encore of Sunshine Of Your Love (medley) into Going Down to another standing ovation to end the night.
We wish Walter Trout a fast and full recovery and look forward to seeing him hit the stage as soon as he is up and ready to continue supporting his latest release The Blues Came Callin.