Blues Masters 2013 Finalists! What do you think? (Page 4 of 5)

First off, my apologies to Mr. Fossett and Golan Eini. It appears the camera chip I used had a bad sector and Fossett's was totally trashed while only the second half or so of Eini's was recoverable, which I put up.

It was said at the show that many thousands of entries were received. I don't know how the final ten were chosen, and it wasn't explained.  I'm sure there are thousands of dashed hopes and bruised egos in the ones not selected. Hats off to all the submitters for putting their playing out there to be seen. I hope this doesn't turn into a sour grapes fest.

Here is what I got, in order. Matt Fosset was #9 and missing. He was very good.
Bill Tracy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WlhDQf5z1s
Claudio Tristano, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBc0ExhhC0o
Eric Hoppe, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csZGsP4dXP4
Matt Hines, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LszLq0Dm5Pk
Tony Stramelia, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldp6lBvm2TY
Golan Eini, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP4n7Lii3BI
Mario Sen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3anGUfG9wOY
Brandon Sollis, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAn8FXXZyEg

Rick
Edit: To be fair, here is an original by Ken Fossett which he said was inspired by Joe's Happier Times, his selection for the contest. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-CKjEyDCds

I was lucky enough to be present at The Mint as well. Overall, everyone of these guys deserved to be there and I would like to thank them for traveling from all corners of the U.S. to entertain us here in L.A. for one evening. It was a blast.

Bill Tracy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WlhDQf5z1s

Bill had the unenviable task of going first. And if any one of you has ever been in a battle of the bands or a guitar competition like this, it's hard to be the first one out of the gate. But looking back on his performance he did a really awesome job and set the bar pretty high.

Claudio Tristano, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBc0ExhhC0o

I really enjoyed Claudio's performance. Great tone and patience in his playing. I liked how he built up to a crescendo through the entire song.   

Eric Hoppe, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csZGsP4dXP4

Eric had an outstanding performance. You could tell Joe was totally into it. I think Eric was definitely in contention in the end to win it.

Matt Hines, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LszLq0Dm5Pk

A deserving winner. Great phrasing, sense of space and timing. A complete performance from front to back. I was standing with him when Joe announced the winner and he was totally surprised and floored it was him.

Tony Stramelia, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldp6lBvm2TY

Out of everyone, Tony looked like the happiest @#$%^^&# guy there. My wife and I just couldn't get over how jazzed he was every time we saw him. He was soaking up every minute. His spirit and attitude embodied what everyone should strive for in competitions like this. And he played a wicked lap steel.

Golan Eini, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP4n7Lii3BI

One of my favorite performances. Totally has the 70's classic rock, Jimmy Page, Slash thing down. Absolutely owned the performance and had everybody's attention. Great stage presence and just a really cool down to earth dude.

Mario Sen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3anGUfG9wOY

The thing I loved about Mario was just how he just went for it.  Sure, there were clams here and there, but I love it when a guitarist just loses themselves in the moment and that's exactly what he did. Great stage presence and a very fun performance. 

Steve Balkun, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP4n7Lii3BI

Steve  had some tasty slide licks and just an all around cool vibe. However,  I don't think Steve gave the performance he wanted to as he looked kinda bummed afterwards when I saw him. At times his performance felt more like he was accompanying the band rather than being the featured soloist.

Brandon Sollis, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAn8FXXZyEg

Brandon had chops for days. If anything hurt his chances, I think it's because his performance was too heavy metal for a blues competition.  His shredding was outstanding and his arpeggios were killer, but once he started the two-hand tapping I could sense he lost the audience.  If this was a heavy metal contest, he would have run away with it.

Jack Fossett - Great performance but I think he was a victim of circumstance because this was the third time in over an hour the audience was hearing Slow Train.

Welcome Steve, and please do enlightnen us with the blow-by-blow account. It was great out in the crowd and I, for one, would love the insider's tale.

cool, thanks for the welcome everyone. I will try and get it all together as soon as i can. As you can imagine it was a lot to take in, and i'm still sorting out in my mind what all took place, so i think it will be good for me as well to get to express all of the feelings and emotions of the entire experience.

Pro shot multicam vid from the show of the winner, Matt Hines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnE5xZVV … QRzadrVkzw
Rick

Points all well said and taken (I already had them myself, too).  I agree with you 100%.  There has been a tone of grapes soured into whine.  I am ok with letting a complaint out.  But it got to the point I had one of my trademark posts typed, saved to disk, but not posted, due to having a couple grains of empathetic sympathy.  And the tune "Get Over It" had come to MY mind also at more than one point.  You weren't making a personal attack on anyone as far as I perceived. 

I have ONLY viewed the Guitar Center (guitarcentertv) finals "Procam" winner's video performance Rick B linked for us, and I have to say, that was a WINNING performance in my book.  Fantastic "job" by Matt Hines! [5 sunglasses rated].  How the think [sic] played out to get he and those others there....I don't have much care or concern.  Just don't pop shots directed at Joe Bonamassa over this.  It's time to due [sic] more back-to-school shopping, ya hear?!

I am going to listen to as many as I can find now.  Even if I think differently than the final results for ENTRIES selected, I believe this was something that needs applauding for from conception to closure.

2,600 entrants.... Wow! 

Once again... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnE5xZVV … QRzadrVkzw

Rock ON & Keep the Faith,
Rocket

"He still doesn't charge for mistakes! "
http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/
"Everybody wants ta get inta the act!"
“Now, this isn’t your ordinary party crowd, here.  I mean, there are professionals in here.”

Feel the same way as JBfan4life and Rocket. Well said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST86JM1RPl0

"He still doesn't charge for mistakes! "
http://jbonamassa.com/tour-dates/
"Everybody wants ta get inta the act!"
“Now, this isn’t your ordinary party crowd, here.  I mean, there are professionals in here.”