Eric Sardinas 2003 Press Bio from Favored Nations

Eric's signature brand of Delta dynamite has been a long time in the making. At the incredibly early age of six, he already had his fingers on the fretboard. Though born a lefty, he naturally gravitated towards playing the guitar as a right-hander. Admittedly, this could be considered a difficult approach, but it never slowed Sardinas down. In fact, it's actually been a major contributing factor in the formation of his unique style and specialized technique.

Also helping to shape his artistic direction were the soulful grounds in which he planted his earliest musical roots. Sardinas recalls that it was exposure to the likes of gospel, Motown, and R&B (i.e. Ray Charles, Elvis Presley) that eventually caused him to seek out the emotionally-charged acoustic sounds of the deep South. Delta titans like Charley Patton, Son House, Robert Johnson, Skip James, Bukka White, and Fred McDowell were among his favorites. Rural country blues players such as Barbecue Bob and Blind Willie McTell were later added to his list, as was the electricity of the Chicago blues sound. Indeed... Elmore James, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and Albert King could then be considered responsible for setting Sardinas on a collision course with what would ultimately become the final contributor to his developing style, this -- of course -- being rock-n-roll. Guitar fire-starters from the 1950's, along with harder-edged players from the turbulent 60's and 70's only further expanded and intensified the Sardinas sound.

After years of "inhaling" the essence of these various styles of music, Eric Sardinas finally "exhaled." In doing so, he consequently gave birth to an exhilarating, powerful, and sometimes terrifying new style that's real, raw, and wickedly intense.

Both his 1999 debut ("Treat Me Right") and 2001 follow-up ("Devil's Train") were chock-full of electrified Dobro thunder, but neither surrendered Eric's deeply rooted respect for traditional blues. Mixed alongside his aggressively soulful, self-penned compositions were searing renditions of several obscure treasures pulled from the back catalogues of classic blues artists. Further historical influence came via a stunning array of legendary guest performers including: Howlin Wolf sideman Hubert Sumlin, blues/rock pioneer Johnny Winter, and Delta blues kingpin Honeyboy Edwards. "Singing with Honeyboy meant a lot to me," recalled Sardinas. "He's one of the last surviving links to the first generation of Delta blues." All said and done, each of these two albums garnered bushels full of stellar reviews and rave reactions from fans, critics, and fellow artists alike. Most notably, however, even staunch traditionalists within the blues community now freely recognized and accepted Eric as a legitimate student and purveyor of the Delta legacy.

Looking back on his first two albums Sardinas can now insightfully reflect, "These records explored everything I'd learned, but at the same time they used blues as a jumping off point to go deeper." And so with his latest release, "Black Pearls," Eric continues his ongoing artistic quest to soar above and beyond the safe confines of twelve-bar familiarity and hopefully encourage listeners to re-examine many of their preconceived notions regarding blues music. Celebrated studio legend Eddie Kramer was enlisted to spearhead this exciting and revolutionary musical undertaking. "Eric is single-handedly turning the polite world of acoustic Dobro into a mean sounding machine of blues and rock," says Kramer. "His outstanding ability and mastery of his instrument allow him to use feedback and sustain one minute and play with beautiful acoustic sensitivity the next." Employing his renowned talents and fresh perspectives, Kramer helped create an optimum environment within which Sardinas, bassist Paul Loranger, and new drummer Mike Dupke were all able to creatively thrive and flourish.

"Eddie's approach in the studio is quite unique," states Sardinas. "His organically rich ways of capturing and recording sound allowed my musical spirit to fly wherever it needed to go for the songs. This same freedom of spirit is showcased consistently throughout Eddie's past recordings. From Jimi Hendrix, to Led Zeppelin, to The Beatles, and on and on... it is clearly there. The energy that is captured on those records is like a living, breathing moment in time. I feel this is what we have achieved here; I think all those sensations come through on this record." Also worthy of note is the fact that this album was recorded completely live and direct to analog tape (ie: no Pro-Tools, no vocal tuners, etc...). New label Favored Nations plans for the record to hit store shelves in late July.

[webmistress note: The official U.S. release date has been set for Tuesday, August 26, 2003.]

With legions of corporate-fueled, musical puppets littering our stages and airwaves, originality has become virtually extinct within the landscape of today's popular music. Fortunately there's Eric Sardinas. His unique sound and honest delivery are breathing life back into the lungs of a stale industry on the verge of collapsing face first like a suffocating giant. Sardinas is both a welcome reminder of the finest unfiltered music from an era bygone, as well as, a glimpse into a future realm of infinite sonic liberty. He's a courageous trailblazer who's constantly repudiating routine limits and challenging all genre inherent boundaries with his wild, but never-the-less ingenious, innovations. As such, this performer shines brilliantly and refreshingly like a beaming beacon of hope. So, if you find yourself understandably lost and aimlessly drifting through a sad sea of musical mediocrity... find Eric Sardinas. Find him, because he will single-handedly realign your ears with your heart and restore your faith in the power and beauty of music. The simple truth is that you need only witness to believe. And once you see him... you'll never forget him.

Black Pearls is in stores! Purchase it here!