How I Discovered: Gary Moore

I'm not entirely sure when exactly I first heard Gary Moore, but I do know that it was his incredible cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Red House" at the 2004 Strat Pack concert. It's hard for me to describe the performance itself, but I will say that one of the most memorable comments from that YouTube video basically said that he completely embarrassed Eddie Van Halen with his ability.

Comparing artists in terms of merit is something I generally try to avoid, especially when it comes to those of completely different genres. However, I will say with confidence that Gary Moore is one of the most talented guitar players I've ever heard. Towards Christmas of last year, I purchased his hugely successful Still Got the Blues on iTunes (one of the very last albums I ever bought before switching to Spotify). My first love is rock, but I've always loved blues guitarists because of both how foundational the blues is to rock and how expressive their music is in its own right. Around this same time I started listening to artists like Eric Clapton, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and quickly felt drawn to the raw emotion in their playing. In Gary Moore's case, though, it is impossible not to be blown away with the sheer level of musicianship that drips from every one of his songs.
In a sad coincidence, I learned that Gary Moore had died about a month after I really started listening to him. Upon hearing the news, my mind was instantly turned to his performance of "Parisienne Walkways" at Montreux. His last major public performance, it defined everything that Moore had been for so many years: a rare talent whose guitar playing made his emotions plain for everyone to see.

Favorite album: Still Got the Blues (1990)
Favorite songs: "Parisienne Walkways," "Too Tired," "Still Got the Blues, "Hey Joe"