Though he is no more then 22 years old, Californian native Corby Yates is already stirring the dust in the watering holes of the San Francisco Bay Area and slaughtering audiences with a fiery brand of blues rock. Like the other youngblood Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Yates also immersed himself in a world dominated by the ghosts of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. A path so many youngsters of the blues love to take.

With drummer Andy Doerschuk and bassist Jim Yates (Corby's father), Corby's first CD simply entitled Corby Yates is not too bad for a first effort. As Corby did his best to serve the prison sentence of high school life, his keys to freedom were getting out of the house and attending blues jams that were to provide the foundations of his musical education. Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Arkansas and Chicago have graced our ears with their blues musicians. California does not stand at the vanguard. Now with the addition of hotshot players like Teresa Russell and Corby Yates, perhaps the West Coast will gain more notoriety.

Half of the CD was written by Corby and his dad. Serving as an opening act for Robben Ford, Robin Trower, John Lee Hooker, Indigenous, Jimmie Vaughan, Tommy Castro, etc, has been a great launching pad for Yates. Corby is a West Coast kid brimming with Southern blues virtuoso. Doyle Bramhall's "Too Sorry" is Texas certified with Stevie Ray Vaughan shuffles. Opening cut "Back From Yesterday" wakes you up from golden slumbers and lets you know that a disturbing force is in the distance reverberating shock waves felt from many miles out. Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious" is slowed down but blues-rock at its best.

The final cut "Hear My Train A-Comin" is a ten-minute jam of guitar gymnastics. For those who are old-fashioned rock 'n' rollers, it is the perfect moment to go down to the basement, find those old Cream or Jimi Hendrix records in the back corner and whip out that trusty air guitar just one more time.
- Gary Weeks

July 2002 Southwest Blues