Living With The Law

Description

In 1991, Chris Whitley released his debut album, Living with the Law, which immediately revealed his talent as a songwriter and his unique guitar playing. Blending blues, roots, and folk, this first album was praised by critics and fans of these traditional genres alike. As a child, Whitley listened to radio stations from the southern United States, where artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Bob Dylan, and Jimi Hendrix could be heard. He began his career playing with musicians such as ArtoLindsay and Michael Beinhorn. Interestingly, Whitley lived briefly in Belgium in the 1980s, where he began his career as a guitarist with the bands 2 Belgen and Nacht und Nebel. In the 1990s, he launched his solo career at Kingsway Studio in New Orleans, a studio owned by Daniel Lanois. The result was an album characterized by the use of traditional instruments such as slide guitar and banjo. It is carried by his beautifully timbred voice and sincere lyrics exploring themes such as freedom, desire, and human struggle. Unfortunately, Chris Whitley passed away in 2005, but his influence on contemporary songwriters, notably his daughter Trixie Whitley, and blues artists remains strong.