Gary Clark Jr's 'Live' is a blistering 15 song collection of Junior's brightest global exhibitions, but more valuably one of the richest live albums in recent decades. Clark has the incomprehensible ability to fuse genres, distort styles then blend them, all to serve up his own black fruit punch. He approaches the endangered art of improvisation with a subtlety and homage. Only Clark would add the bottom of the Jackson 5's "Can You Feel It" baseline to "Ain't Messin' Around" or reheat his "Next Door Neighbor Blues" with dashes of Sly Stone, Bo Diddley and RZA. It ain't clean eating, but still purist catnip. Wrapping arms around the artistry of Gary Clark Jr. is an attempt at sorcery. It exists nowhere in particular, swimming in and out of vibes. Even on stage, Clark's band performs without a net (set list), using audience's energy as fabric to customize show sequences which is captured perfectly on Live. Gary Clark Jr. has built a young albeit decorated career on ground paved outside the categorical box. The previous three years saw the guitar hero and his band obliterate stages and stupefy audiences with pyrophoric play and clone consistency. Whether in a dark club or The White House, Philadelphia or Stockholm, alongside Alicia Keys or Mick Jagger, Clark and crew devoured and seduced entire audiences. Ripe blues licks, syrupy grooves of R&B and b-boy beloved baselines over indigo lyrics overwhelm listeners so much that they attempt to spell the spirit, which Clark awoke in them tangible. Is he an old soul or the new soul? He is cosigned by Jay-Z and Eric Clapton, and has lit up Glastonbury, Coachella, Bonnaroo and halftime at the NBA All-Star Game. Legends have anointed him sole heir to the chordophone throne.
