Tom Doughty

Great painters paint, but great artists create?. Rembrandt did it with shadows and light, Van Gogh with texture, Picasso with shape. Edward Hopper took the seemingly ordinary and transformed it into the extraordinary. Tom Doughty is also a great artist, one whose canvas is music. ?He is one of the most original new artists I have heard in a long time. With his unique approach to guitar and his vocal interpretations of traditional and his original tunes, he has managed to create music that is all his own." So says Woody Mann, himself an acknowledged master of the instrument.

Rembrandt did it with shadows and light, Van Gogh with texture, Picasso with shape. Edward Hopper took the seemingly ordinary and transformed it into the extraordinary.

Tom Doughty is also a great artist, one whose canvas is music.

?He is one of the most original new artists I have heard in a long time. With his unique approach to guitar and his vocal interpretations of traditional and his original tunes, he has managed to create music that is all his own." So says Woody Mann, himself an acknowledged master of the instrument.

Music is everywhere, a lot of it real good, but it goes largely unnoticed. Why? Because most of it is like an M&S sandwich at lunchtime ? it's nice enough, it hits the spot, but it hardly ever sticks in the memory.

Pop, blues, rock, folk, jazz, soul, or whatever your thing might be, there's only going to be a handful of musicians and music that touches something deep within, something so special that words can't really do it justice. Son House did it with the blues, Armstrong ignited jazz, Elvis took rock ?n roll where it wasn't supposed to go. Dylan turned lyrics into poetry and Billie Holiday showed what a true voice could do.

Tom does it with eloquent slide guitar, engaging song writing and a rare ability to bring something fresh to other's work. His take on Eleanor Rigby is how the Beatles might have done it, had they spent another month in the studio. His savage indictment of Zimbabwe's suffering and relentless exploitation has Billy Bragg's endorsement and Amnesty International's interest. His performances, whether at the mighty International Guitar Festival or in a low-key local club are utterly compelling.

?Tom Doughty is possessed of a deep musical soul, that magic link between feeling and movement which makes the slide guitar such an individual instrument. His touch is wide ranging, and his music is full of big feeling.? Bob Brozman.

2009 has seen Tom complete his third album, Have a Taste of This. Like his first two albums (which have been featured on national radio and played world-wide) Have a Taste of This again showcases his exceptional song-writing skills and his astonishing virtuosity on guitar, even as his restless spirit breaks new ground. It's truly another milestone in the continuing development of this remarkable musician.

Rock'nReel's Jim Gillan thinks that to regard Tom as an acoustic blues guitarist is to miss what he brings to the table: ?He's simply a great musician, one touched with that elusive drop of the pure, no matter what he plays.? Or, to borrow from a recent interview by Michael Prince: ?Tom's music is organic and free. (He's) a must see performer.?

Tom can be reached at tom@tomdoughty.com

And, for a flavour of his artistry, check out?

www.tomdoughty.com
www.myspace.com/tomdoughty
www.youtube.com/slideytunes