Eric Krasno
LEAP OF FAITH
The Soulive and Lettuce
guitarist-producer goes for the
soul—plus rock, blues, jazz,
and funk—and grows as a
singer-songwriter on his new album,
Blood from a Stone, with some
help from his Ibanez axes
and Derek Trucks.
WRITTEN BY EMILE MENASCHÉ
PHOTOS BY JAY SANSONE
premierguitar.com
S
ince his emergence with jam-oriented bands
like Lettuce and Soulive in the 1990s, Eric
Krasno has built one of the music industry’s
most diverse careers. He’s earned popular and peer
respect as a producer, songwriter, bandleader, label
owner, and—thanks to a fluid style that knows no
genre boundaries—guitarist. One title that hasn’t
appeared on his CV is lead singer.
Until now. Technically, Blood from a Stone
is the Connecticut native’s second solo album.
But it’s the first to feature his talents as a singersongwriter. His solo debut, 2010’s Reminisce, is
mainly instrumental.
And fittingly for a guy who’s worked with
Norah Jones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Matisyahu,
Aaron Neville, Talib Kweli, 50 Cent, John
Scofield, Phil Lesh and Friends, Snoop Dogg,
Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, and many
others, the music brings together influences from
rock, R&B, hip-hop, and blues—all unified by
soulful performances.
If Krasno—a producer for great singers—was
hesitant to put his own voice in the spotlight, he
needn’t have worried. The strong songwriting,
tasteful playing, and deft production that have
defined his career so far serve him well as a singersongwriter. From the opening track, “Waiting on
Your Love,” the music pulsates with strong hooks,
shimmering sounds, and the kind of organic
performances that hearken back to the classic rock
and soul of decades past, without sounding retro.
The wah-driven start of “Torture” recalls
Hendrix’s Cry of Love-era grooving, while the
focused soul of “Jezebel” provides a platform for
tastefully melodic blues guitar, leading into the
Motown-esque pop of “Unconditional Love,” and
beyond. The album’s one instrumental, “Curse
Lifter,” is a simmering duet with Krasno’s longtime
friend Derek Trucks.
As K rasno explained when we spoke on the
phone this summer, the making of Blood from a
Stone had its fits and starts, thanks largely to his
incredibly busy producing and touring schedule.
But the process did more than yield one strong
album—it opened yet another creative direction
he expects to explore in years to come.
PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2016 99