Buddy Guy

The power in Buddy Guy's take on the Chicago blues has always come not from what he plays, but from what he doesn't play. A master at incorporating sudden dynamic shifts, his solos often mimic the feeling of the floor falling out from under one's feet. Furious outbursts of notes are often followed by one long, sustained bend that seems to go on forever, or an unexpected drop in volume that can be simply breathtaking. Guy understands tension and release in music, and he gets serious mileage out of employing it. But his tasteful humility and natural sense of showmanship have inspired countless blues and rock guitarists, such as Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jeff Beck.