This guitar instrumental is in the style of the great Freddie King, who was nicknamed ‘The Texas Cannonball.

Freddie was one of the three great ‘King’ guitarists along with BB King and Albert King, who inspired countless guitar players in the 60s and 70s when blues guitar styles infiltrated the main stream in a big way, giving birth along the way to rock music. None of the ‘King guitarists’ were related but they all played (or in BB’s case, are still playing) great blues guitar, and we all owe a lot to them.

Freddie was born in Gilmer Texas in 1934 with the given name of Freddy King. His mother told him that her grandfather (who was a full-blooded Choctaw Indian) prophesied to her that she would have a child that would stir the souls of millions and inspire and influence generations. Beginning to play the guitar at the age of six, Freddie’s early music heroes were Sam ‘Lightnin’ Hopkins (who he credits for his proficiency at the thumb-finger picking style) and Louis Jordan, the jump blues saxophonist. He would play Jordan's records over and over again until he could match his horn, note for note. This discipline would have a major impact on his guitar phrasing. The instrumental hits most associated with Freddie are ‘Hide Away (1961) and ‘The Stumble’, both covered by numerous blues guitarists, not least Eric Clapton and Peter Green. King died from heart failure in 1976 at the age of only forty two.

‘Texas Getaway’ is my own composition and personal tribute to Freddie’s style. I think I also managed to capture some of the rough and ready sonic characteristics of his early recordings. Enjoy.