Photos by Andy Argyrakis

The caliber of Albert Lee’s guitar playing can be traced to the company he keeps, including work with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, The Crickets, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, The Everly Brothers and original Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings.

Even with all those enviable credits, the Englishmen has always flown fairly far under the commercial radar, though to those in the know, he’s unquestionably “Mr. Telecaster” who also has a Grammy Award and no less than five consecutive “Guitar Player” magazine wins for “Best Country Guitarist.”

In any case, it was standing room only status at the cozy and acoustically-treated Space in Evanston when Lee and a fiery three-piece band visited on the heels of their latest recording, “Gypsy Man: A Tribute To Buddy Holly.”

Throughout nearly two hours, Lee frequently hearkened back to that golden age of rock and roll, incorporated just as many southern staples and touched on his own distinguished repertoire. 

He generally stuck to axe-slinging and singing, blazing through Fats Domino’s “I’m Ready,” Delbert McClinton’s “Two Step Two” and The Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Wheels, but also took to the keyboard during Jimmy Webb’s “Highwayman” and Rodney Crowell’s “‘Til I Gain Control Again.”

Lee also hearkened back to the days of recording with the latter in Harris’ Hot Band come Gram Parsons’ “Luxury Liner,” which was the very first cut they all recorded together a whopping 50 years ago.

All the while, the headliner played with speed that seemed much younger than someone 79-years-old, though he also applied the wisdom and expertise only a veteran could acquire, perhaps most apparent throughout Ray Charles’ “Leave My Woman Alone” (with a “Layla” outro as a nod to Clapton) and his Heads Hands & Feet heavyweight “Country Boy.”

Just when it seemed like it may have been over, the whistling crowd coaxed Lee out for an encore and he more than delivered, from the latter day Glen Campbell ballad “A Better Place,” to Johnny Burnette’s “Tear It Up,” always living up to true virtuoso status. 

Click here for more photos of Albert Lee at Space.

For additional information on Albert Lee, visit AlbertLeeOfficial.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Space include David Bowie Birthday Bash (Jan. 8); Spin Doctors’ Chris Barron (Jan. 11); The Way Down Wanderers (Jan. 12); Rebirth Brass Band (Jan. 13); Alfonso Ponticelli (Jan. 14); Marlene Rosenberg (Jan. 15); Sheryl Youngblood (Jan. 16); The Brother Brothers (Jan. 17); “Caropop” featuring David Pasquesi (Jan. 18); Michael Shannon, Jason Narducy & Friends (Jan. 19); Chicken Bone (Jan. 20); Five For Fighting’s John Ondrasik (Jan. 21); Chicago Immigrant Orchestra (Jan. 22); Mikey Ahearn (Jan. 24); Androgynous Mustache (Jan. 25); Bryan Eng Trio (Jan. 26); Victoria Victoria (Jan. 27); Rhett Miller (Jan. 28) and The Arcadian Wild & Oshima Brothers (Jan. 29). For additional details, visit EvanstonSpace.com.

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