Gary Clark Jr. - Blak and Blu [2LP]

2012's Blak And Blu marked the major label full-length debut album of singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire Gary Clark Jr. Produced by Mike Elizondo (Dr. Dre, Mastodon, Fiona Apple), Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance) and Clark Jr., apart from Clark on guitar, vocals and trumpet, Blak and Blu features performances from drummer J.J. Johnson, keyboardist Zac Rae, and Elizondo on bass. In addition to 12 of Clark's original compositions, it also features a blistering cover of Little Johnny Taylor's (popularized by Albert Collins), "If You Love Me Like You Say / Third Stone From The Sun" (Jimi Hendrix) which is actually a complete reworking of the song utilizing the Hendrix riff reinterpreted by Clark. The result is an extraordinary hybrid of the two ideas that breathes new fire to an old favorite. Hitting No. 1 on the Blues Albums chart and peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, Blak and Blu earned Clark Jr. his first two Grammy nominations, one for Best Rock Song ("Ain't M