Quinn Sullivan: Getting There Review
Quinn Sullivan, guitar boy wonder, has been on tour most recently with guitar legend Buddy Guy, and even appeared on Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival. Needless to say, Eric Clapton has spoken. Buddy and Eric must have been drawn to this kid’s visceral, raw talent rooted so deeply in the blues, taking him on an experience in which many much older would give and arm and a leg to partake. With the guiding hand of Grammy winning producer Tom Hambridge, Getting There is certainly an album wise beyond its years, granting glimpse on a bright outlook for the industry.
Quinn’s fender acts as a beacon of his expression, as one bluesy riff flows from the last. “Catch a Groove,” a hit on the album, features distorted echo and flanger effects, boasting a strong build up to a high-octane chorus, driven by heavy bass and a wah wah pedal. These soon to be signature styles give Quinn a certain gusto and thus much deserved notoriety. “Getting There,” the album’s title track, delivers a soulful and fitting ode to a young career on the rise. Quinn then strips it down a bit on some powerfully soulful ballads on “World in Change” and “I Know I Know.” “Mr. Gloom” features a funky organ that carries the groove throughout. “Rock Hard” keeps that organ rolling, for a toe-tapping sing-along reminiscent of an early Beatles track.
Getting There is a wide-eyed glimpse into the mind of a soulful, sophisticated, not yet jaded young man, whose short time on this earth, with guiding influence through the grapevine of blues greats, has proven ample basis to crank out some stellar tunes. Quinn’s vocals, in step with his electrifying ability on the axe, offer the complete package for this rising star. Catch him on the way up.
The Review: 9/10
Can’t Miss Tracks
– Catch a Groove
– Getting There
– World in Change
– Mr. Gloom
– I Know I Know
– Rock Hard
– End of the Day
The Big Hit
– Rock Hard
Review by Don Tice
saw this kid, he is great!
Saw him with Buddy Guy a year ago. I found myself liking Quinn’s performance more than Buddy’s. He has a bright future. He gets better every year. He can play a lot like the masters, and in time I hope he finds his own ‘voice’ and style.