Tues., May 9, 2006
Easterwood has a reputation as a highly competent guitarist on a wide variety of blues styles. He doesn't have the name recognition factor of guitarists whose names title their band, but the strong Whatcom players all know him and remember him from when he called Bellingham his home last year. Easterwood will be flying in from Texas to appear at the show. "Terry was the blues guitar player they all wanted on their set, guess they'll have their chance May 9th," says Langille. When his Blues Spotlight article on Terry was published last year, Easterwood's fans found out he has both an appreciation for and background in church music as well as straight blues.
With a background that includes much more than blues, it isn't surprising Easterwood seems to effortlessly blend in with and add to a wide variety of locals he has shared the blues jam stage with. "I was in a boys' choir when I was really young," recalls Easterwood, "took a little piano in 1st and/or 2nd grade, started violin in 4th grade through the end of high school, started guitar in 8th grade, took a year to learn how to play guitar via written music, played in the stage band in junior high and high school for four years, orchestra, took an extra study hall and messed around with recording equipment my senior year, and generally spent every spare minute playing guitar for about four years at that time."
"I've played classical violin, jazz, fusion, rock, blues, country-western, western-swing, very little bluegrass, sung in church choirs, I even took drum lessons for a very, very short while when I was a kid."
Easterwood gigged three nights a week (with Fine Line) for a couple years while in college. When he got an engineering day job, married and had kids, his music took a back seat. "But I never really stopped playing, " says Terry. "Back in Texas I'd play with some very, very good players once a week for a couple of hours at a senior citizens center in rural central Texas. I'd pick up an odd gig with those guys every now and then."
When Terry moved to the Northwest a few years ago, he become an occaisonal visitor to jam sessions in Bellingham and it's surrounding area. In addition to participating in local open mics he filled in on guitar for some local bands like The Atlantics and Badd Dog Blues Society. He enjoying his time in Whatcom County, "I finally, after maybe thirty years, got to see Leo Kottke up close and personal. That's something that I never was able to do in Austin, for all the times he's been there. Thank you, Leo and Bellingham." Late last summer Terry departed for a job in Texas. It is quite an honor to have him return to the Buffalo Blues Invitational for this special night.
You can read more about Terry Easterwood, his influences, gear preferences and more in his Blues Spotlight article here at The Blues Lamp. Then be sure to catch him live at the Wild Buffalo on Tues., May. 9th from 8 to midnight, better yet, join in on the jam.
(photograph courtesy of
Noona Walton, copyright 2005)
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