Gary Clark Jr. is a truly prodigious talent. His ambitious, eclectic solo albums don’t do justice to his multiple distinctions, but his concert recordings certainly do (Live and Live in North America 2016). In much the same way, so does this clip from the 2023 Crossroads Guitar Festival: in a solo rendering of “You Saved Me,” from his major label studio debut Blak and Blu, the Austin Texas native is fully engaged and deeply emotive, his instrumental technique as understated as his singing, all of which is a vivid depiction of his understanding of the blues at its source. Little wonder work with his band carries an even greater impact.
