Sonny Landreth

Sonny Landreth is known as “the King of Slydeco” and plays with a strong Zydeco influence. Guitarist Eric Clapton has said that Landreth is one of the most advanced guitarists in the world and one of the most under-appreciated. Landreth is best known for his slide guitar playing, having developed a technique where he also frets notes and plays chords and chord fragments by fretting behind the slide while he plays.

Landreth plays with the slide on his little finger so that his other fingers have more room to fret behind the slide. He’s also known for his right-hand technique, which involves tapping, slapping, and picking strings, using all of the fingers on his right hand. He wears a special thumb pick/flat pick hybrid on his thumb so he can bear down on a pick while simultaneously using his finger-style technique for the slide.

Sonny Landreth’s impressive career as a guitarist has earned him numerous honors and awards. In 2005, he was recognized by the Americana Music Association as Instrumentalist of the Year, a testament to his incredible skill on the guitar. Landreth’s talent was also recognized by the Blues Music Awards in 2016, where he was awarded in the ‘Instrumentalist – Guitar’ category. These awards speak to Landreth’s reputation as one of the most skilled guitarists in the industry, and his ability to captivate audiences with his incredible playing.

Solo Albums

Blues Attack (1981; re-released 1996)
Way Down in Louisiana (1985; re-released 1993)
Outward Bound (1992)
South of I-10 (1995)
Crazy Cajun Recordings (1999) – source material from 1973 and 1977
Prodigal Son: The Collection (2000) – source material from 1973 and 1977
Levee Town (2000; re-released 2009 with five bonus tracks)
The Road We’re On (2003), charted No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart.
Grant Street (2005) – live recording, charted No. 2 on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart.
Sonny Landreth – Live At Jazz Fest 2007 (2007) – live recording
From the Reach (2008), charted No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart.
Voices of Americana (2009)
Leeve Town (Expanded Addition) (2009)
Elemental Journey (2012), charted No. 4 on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart.
Sunrise (2012)
Bound by the Blues (2015)
Recorded Live In Lafayette (2017)
Blacktop Run (2020)