Гитарист «тяжелого блюза» или «the hard blues driven rock», как он сам называет собственную музыку.
Пэт Трэверс родился в 1954 в Торонто. Начал осваивать гитару в 12 лет под впечатлением от выступления Джимми Хендрикса и музыкантов британского рока. Первую профессиональную работу лид-гитариста получил в группе «звезды» рокабилли Ронни Хокинса. Когда ему было 20 Пэт уехал в Англию. В Лондоне он быстро встал на ноги, создал группу и даже подписал контракт на выпуск пластинок с фирмой Polydor.
Дебютный диск вышел в 1976. Однако крупной звездой Трэверсу стать не удалось. Он записал альбомы «Makin' Magic» и «Putting It Straight» и вернулся в Америку: его блюз-рок шёл вразрез с тогдашней модой на панк. В конце десятилетия Треверс записывает несколько отдалившиеся от формулы «чистого блюз-рока» альбомы, считающиеся едва ли не лучшими в его карьере, особенно концертный «Go For What You Know» (1979). Журнал «Guitar Player» помещает Пэта на обложку январского номера 1980, называя «новым гитарным героем», «одним из самых скоростных гитаристов». В пластинке «Radio Active» (1981) с группой нового состава Треверс рискнул вернуться в блюз-року. Последовали совместные гастроли с группой Rainbow.
С середины 80-х гитарист из-за неурегулированности юридических вопросов с фирмой Полидор Трэверс потерял возможность выпускать пластинки, хотя концертная активность его осталась на прежнем уровне.
В 1990 году он, после долгого перерыва, вернулся в студию и в сопровождении своих прежних коллег по группе образца первой половины 80-х записал «School of Hard Knocks». В этот же год появляется его второй концертный диск «Boom Boom, Live at the Diamond Club».
Начало 90-х стало своеобразным ренессансом музыканта, переиздаются его старые записи, выходят нереализованные 10 и более лет назад архивы.
Расцвет карьеры Треверса связан в этот период с подписанием контракта с международной фирмой звукозаписи, специализирующейся на гитарной музыке - Blues Bureau International.
Начиная с диска «Blues Tracks» (1993) она выпускает до 2000 высоко популярные в России блюз-роковые «Just a Touch», «Blues Magnet», «Halfway To Somewhere», «Lookin' Up», «Best Of Blues + Live», «Blues Tracks 2», «Don't Feed The Alligators». Ряд номеров ПT написал в соавторстве с женой Моникой.
В 2001 Треверс ограниченным тиражом выпустил на собственные деньги диск «Pat Travers Solo»с акустическими сольными номерами, наигранными в Nils Lofgren's Guitar Bar в Неваде.
Альбом 2003 года «P.T. Power Trio» не имеет титульного названия. Он обозначает стилистику выдающихся рок-трио, тяжелых ансамблей минимального состава 60-70-х. Таких, как ZZ Top, Grand Funk, Mountain, Cream. Кавер-версии упомянутых ансамблей и собраны на компакт-диске.
Pat Travers - Mohegan Sun Wolf Den (April 20, 2010)/Fhoto: flickr.com
The first Pat Travers release of the new Millennium was another covers album, ‘Don’t Feed The Alligators’, featuring a collection of songs more varied in style than those found on the ‘Blues Tracks’ albums.
It did contain some of the usual suspects, however, such as Hendrix (‘Crosstown Traffic’), while other notables receiving the Travers touch included Steely Dan (‘Black Friday’).
In 2001 Pat was in the company of many of his musical contemporaries when he was part of the ‘Voices of Classic Rock’ tour, a show featuring singers and musicians from many ‘name’ bands of the ‘70?s and ‘80?s, including old friend Glenn Hughes and vocalist Joe Lynn Turner.
By way of contrast, that same year Pat performed solo at Nils Lofgren’s Guitar Bar in Henderson, Nevada. The performance included some anecdotes from Pat, as well as a little Q&A time with the audience.
The Pat Travers Band trio that toured North America and Europe over those early Millennium years featured Eric Frates and Rick Navarro on drums and bass respectively, and this line-up recorded the live album ‘Etched in Stone’, recorded at the 2002 New Years Eve show in Tempe, Arizona.
Two different ‘P.T. Power Trio’ bands then each released an album of hard and heavy classic rock covers from the catalogues of such rock luminaries as Cream, Free, Deep Purple and Queen. The first album, released in 2003, featured drummer Aynsley Dunbar and bassist Gunter Nezhoda, while three years later the ‘P.T. Power Trio 2’ was driven in the rhythm by bassist Steve Evans and sticksman Jeff Martin.
Pat also worked with drummer Carmine Appice, releasing the album ‘It Takes a lot of Balls’ in 2004. ‘Live at the House of the Blues’ followed, before a second studio album, ‘Bazooka’, was issued in 2005.
As 2005 hit the Summer time, Pat released his new album ‘PT=MC2’, featuring Frates and Navarro. Capturing the sound and attitude of traditional Pat Travers Band rock, it’s the natural successor to ‘School of Hard Knocks’, albeit fifteen years later.
It’s a feisty little album from start to finish, from the opening chords of ‘Elijah’ to the fun and funky brace of ‘Life’s a Funny Old Dog’ and ‘My Peach Pie’.
It’s a welcome addition to the Travers catalogue, but the best, certainly since the days of Black Pearls and Hot Shots, was yet to come….
By 2006 the Pat Travers Band were back to a four piece with the addition of guitarist Kirk McKim, and another live album (‘Stick to What You Know, Live in Europe’) was released in 2007. Frank McDaniel had stepped in for Rick Navarro on bass, and although Eric Frates was still in the engine room, Sean Shannon would soon be back behind the kit for his second residency in the Pat Travers Band.
The definitive lineup of the all new four-piece Pat Travers Band was complete when Rodney O’Quinn took over four-string duties.
And proof that the Pat Travers Band was in (eight) safe hands, courtesy of Messrs. Travers, McKim, Shannon and O’Quinn, came as the second decade of the Millennium dawned…
Fidelis and the future…
‘Fidelis’, backed by Alexus Records, was released as a download in March 2010 followed by CD issue a few months later. It is, quite simply, one of the best Pat Travers releases of any era.
The opener, the hot and rockin’ ‘Ask Me Baby’ and the following number, the slower but no less raunchy ‘Edge of Darkness’ set the tone early, with the album’s rock edge tempered by lighter tracks such as the excellent ‘Stay’ and ‘When I’m With You’.
The album also proves what many have known since they first saw this four-piece perform together…
Kirk McKim is the perfect sparring partner for Travers and a great guitarist in his own right, Rodney O’Quinn’s four-string work compliments the band in a way not seen or heard since the departure of Mars Cowling, and Sean Shannon’s ridiculously powerful but controlled drumming drives this unit with a relentless energy.
Combine those individual talents with the chemistry being produced both in the studio and on the stage, and you have a line-up that is being favourably compared to the famous Travers-Thrall-Cowling-Aldridge band. And deservedly so.
This Pat Travers Band is also one seriously tight rockin’ unit, and live they always deliver. Pat welcomes longtime sticksman, Sandy Gennaro back into the fold. In between dates with the Pat Travers Band, Sandy has been a regular counselor at the World Famous, “Rock and Roll Fantasy Camps” The groove between Gennaro and O’Quinn is a force that is undeniable. There is an energy that is tangible, an enjoyment that is infectious, and, quite frankly, you owe it to yourself to catch this band whenever and wherever you can.
From the streets of Toronto, to the streets of London, and still kicking your ass…The Pat Travers Band.
