Collins, Albert (Albert Collins)

It seems that all great blues guitarists come originally from Texas. Albert Collins was no exception. He was born Oct. 3, 1932 in the city of Leon, a hundred miles from Houston. As his mother, he is a cousin to the immortal guitarist Hopkins Lightning (Lightning Hopkins).

Despite this guitar aristocratic pedigree, Collins' first passion was the piano, which he started six years, and turned to the guitar because it was difficult to find teachers. He began studying the instrument of another cousin, open systems, but this inspiration came when he heard a record of John Lee Hooker's 'Boogie Chillun' in 1948. Collins overworked fingers, trying to play hypnotic boogie riff on the acoustics, and quickly switched to electric guitar (hollow Epifon).

If you have played in Texas in the forties, you're either trying to sound like T-Bone Walker, or two times harder trying to play at it - so great was his influence. Albert chose the second path, because preferred a different sound, which he could achieve by combining an open system with the play of fingers. Soon he began to listen to two young followers Walker: Clarence Brown (Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown) and Eddie Jones (Eddie 'Guitar Slim' Jones). Although they were strongly influenced by T-Bone, but played pure rock n 'roll.

In addition, they were among the first to unleash the potential notch guitars Fender, who then began to appear. These tools not only could be heard at high volume without feedback removal, but, moreover, their small size allow you to manufacture acrobatics - a necessary part of the concert for any self-respecting southern blues guitarist. Among other things, Brown told Collins about the following: "Collins, a Capo. Capo, this is Collins. Collins enjoyed Capo ", which allowed Collins to transpose an open system in any tone.

Collins influenced not only guitarists. He liked the sound of jazz-blues pioneers Hammond B-3 Jimmy MakGrifa and Jimmy Smith. He also moved to guitar phrasing and voice-brass section, for example, the one that sounds from BB King.

As a teenager, Collins began to play things Hopkins in a trio of guitar, piano and percussion, and a few years - and after the purchase of Fender Esquire in 1952 - he led his own ensemble of 10 Rhythm Rockers. In the early fifties, he collaborated with singer Piney Brown, and then returned to Houston to continue to hone their own sound. His live performances began to attract attention when he began to use the 100-foot cord, to be able during the game to pace the room.

First record "The Freeze", supported by 'Collins Shuffle' was released in 1958 on the label Kangaroo. Collins was written with saxophonist and teacher Henry Hayes, who taught him jazz, brass arrangements and phrasing. The record marked the beginning of the image of "cold" (read as "cool"), guitarist, . who stayed with Collins for a lifetime - the idea, . appeared after, . as he called two of his instrumentals, similar to an air conditioning system on the dashboard of your car,
. The record was a local success and allowed Collins to participate in the show such giants as T-Bone Walker, 'Gatemouth' Brown, and Guitar Slim. Soon, he was already well known in the region.

In 1960, Collins released several instrumental singles on the label, Hall-Way Producer Bill Hall, thereby enhancing its reputation as a unique guitar stylist. 'Defrost,' 'Sno-Cone' and 'Don't Lose Your Cool' was strong stuff, but his trademark tune was 'Frosty' 1962, who presented his phrasing and dynamics in the most complete form. Released at the height of the boom in surf music, and the plate with a quick shuffle sold almost a million copies. Collins, meanwhile, continued to speak in Texas clubs, creating the status of a cult legend, and affecting people such as Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix and even Janis Joplin.

In 1964, singles with the label "Hall-Way" have been collected on one disc and released to the label "TFC" as "The Cool Sound of Albert Collins" (reissued on firm "Blue Thumb" in 1969 under the name "Truckin 'with Albert Collins ). He still lived in Houston in 1968, when Bob Hite, the main vocalist of the popular Los Angeles-based blues-rock group Canned Heat and the legendary collector plates, came to the club "Ponderosa", where he appeared Albert. Already familiar with the history of Collins, Hite, persuaded him to move to Los Angeles where he has compiled with the company Imperial, thus giving him the first chance to become famous all over the country.

Came out three albums, which failed commercially, and Albert continued his career live concerts on the West Coast.

In 1972, after recording an album for the label "Tumbleweed", which soon went bankrupt, his career found itself in an impasse. Blues-rock boom has already passed. Everything was different in 1978, when the president "Alligator Records" Bruce Iglauer signed a contract with him. The success of the first record on this label, the album "Ice Pickin '", has led to invitations to festivals and tours of the U.S., Europe and Japan. Subsequent recordings eighties strengthened its position as an influential blues guitarist and gifted singer

. Moreover, . brothers, Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan spread his gospel of peace, . a record in 1985 "Showdown", . which he recorded together with the old Houston friend, Johnny Copeland and a young follower of Robert Cray, . won a Grammy,
. Collins essentially lived in the road, conducting his own personal bus from concert to concert and hitting the audience unfading energy. In 1989, he began recording for "Pointblank", and the first record - "Iceman" in 1991, demonstrated a more "polished" sound. In 1992, rumors were that the health of Collins in danger, and soon became known that he suffers from inoperable cancer.

He courageously endured the disease, working until the very end, and died November 24, 1993 at the age of 61.
Collins created a sound unmatched brightness and astonishing range. The essence of his personality lies largely in his own voice. Collins sings his phrases are not in the microphone, giving them a "breathing" character. In addition, he was able to find inspiration in everyday sounds, portraying with guitar machine tries to start a frosty morning, clucking chickens in the backyard or colloquial rhythms of domestic dispute.

Collins kept his right hand, digital attack despite attempts by Freddie King and others "re-educate" him, that he used a simple mediator or a mediator for the thumb. As the legendary Wes Montgomery, also playing naked thumb, Albert valued more sound than the speed, and his sound instantly recognizable. Blisters on his thumb and index fingers were stiff, as mediators, and through the use of fingers, he could move quickly from low strings to high, and vice versa.

He briefly experimented with a standard adjustment in the beginning of his career, but then returned to the one who taught him Willow Young. Unlike most of the settings for slide playing, it was built on the minor triad on D, E or F, always keeping the same intervals between strings (eg, from the bottom up: EBEGBE). Using the Capo, Collins could transpose the setting to any pitch. Figure. 1 - proprietary phrase Collins D, played in the open F-a minor order (bottom to top: FCF Ab CF) with a Capo at fret 9m. Rate how cleverly he uses an upward trend of the index finger for 16-mi arpeggio notes.

If you do not have at hand Capo, just place the index finger of his left hand on the 9th fret. This example also can be played in open E-minor system, by moving each note up one fret, or in the standard system as shown below. The same applies to the following example.
A lot of rhythm, Collins also introduced their own unique moments. His early admiration for the sound of Hammond organ was reflected in a powerful kompinge and use of chords with a close location of sounds. He rarely used the static repetitive rhythmic motives, preferring the sound "pricks". Figure 3 shows 4 cycles of 12 bar blues in the style of Collins.

In the good old Texas tradition of his first guitar, Albert made from a box of cigars. It was followed by an instrument, made by local carpenter, as they say, with rattles rattlesnakes to improve the resonance. After Epifona with an empty shell, Collins found his signature sound to the Fender Esquire in 1952, the predecessor Telekastera. It Collins played guitar while not stolen during a trip to Los Angeles in the late 60's.

Replaced instrument came Telekaster 61-year with humbucker pickups near the fingerboard, though Collins preferred to use the sound from the Bridge Pickup, or both simultaneously. On this instrument he played until his death. Amplifier was his Fender Quad Reverb, monster, issued through the speaker 300-watt 4x12 all. He exhibited the volume and treble at 10, bass at 0 and twisting reverb.

Except for the light flirting with wah, Collins believed that the effects for his tone does not matter, the sound was not in them, but in his hands.