Taking place the night after the inauguration of the 41st POTUS, George H. W. Bush, on January 21, 1989, the Presidential Inauguration Concert was exactly what it sounds like — but on this evening, politics took a back seat to pure musical talent.
The black-tie event was held at the Washington Convention Center and featured a whole host of rhythm and blues and soul's finest, including Bo Diddley, Chuck Jackson, Willie Dixon, Sam Moore, Delbert McClinton, Carla Thomas and Billy Preston. However, the highlight of the night was arguably the closing set from Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, who drafted in some additional firepower in the form of Stevie's older brother, Jimmie Vaughan and blues legend Albert Collins.
Following an introduction of, "Ladies and gentlemen, the master of the Telecaster! Texas' own Albert Collins," the Texas blues trio launched into a high-octane performance of Frosty — the opening track from Collins's 1965 debut, The Cool Sound of Albert Collins. The 'Iceman' cut a familiar figure onstage with his signature oversized guitar strap on his right shoulder, a capo in place, and a fiery opening blues lick.
There's some tasty playing from the Vaughan brothers and Collins throughout the upbeat instrumental in E flat, as you'd expect with Stevie putting his Number One Strat through its paces. However, special credit has to be given to Reese Wynans for holding the fort harmonically on the Hammond organ while Collins literally goes for a walk to somewhat comical effect towards the song's conclusion.
Although Collins only sticks around for one of the tracks, the video clip also features some stand-out renditions of SRV staples "Texas Flood" and "Lovestruck Baby," as well as the reimagined Stevie Wonder classic "Superstition." Be sure not to miss the closing performance of "Scuttle Buttin'," either. Though it's largely curtailed due to Stevie breaking a string in the opening eight bars — always the ultimate professional, seeing him coolly switching guitars before the song's lighting-fast conclusion is worth the price of admission alone.
The story goes that this footage was thought to be long lost for over twenty years; however, around 2014, it was rediscovered, restored, remixed, and finally broadcast for the first time — as well as being available on DVD as A Celebration of Blues & Soul: The 1989 Presidential Inaugural Concert.
Regularly integrating Collins's material into his setlist from as early as the late 1970s, Stevie Ray Vaughan was never shy about paying tribute to those who paved the way for him musically whenever he could, telling Guitar World in 1988 that guys like Collins — along with Albert King, Otis Rush, and B.B. King — "are the ones who really ought to have the recognition," before humbly adding that he considers himself "just another Texas blues guitarist."
Before introducing the penultimate track of the night, Vaughan told the crowd, "It's a real pleasure to be here with you all. To be able to be here with my family and friends, it means a lot to me... 'cause this is a special year for me too, you see?"
It proved to be, with In Step — his first studio album in four years and the first since finding sobriety — being released in June of that year to universal acclaim. Unfortunately, this would be the last to be released before his death the following year, in August of 1990.
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