David Parker: Blues-Jazz Solo Guitar

It might be too much to say that David Parker is a one-man band: a one-man duet is more like it. Parker is a live-looper. Wielding an electric guitar (the blue or gold kind, depending), he plays a groove into his loop-pedal (black), stomps the pedal at just the right moment, and the riff magically keeps looping over and over. Then he solos over the top, letting blues bends and jazz lines fly. Though he’s using high tech to produce the tones, the tunes are strictly old school; Texas and Chicago blues are the inspiration for most of Parker’s playing, along with some softer, more atmospheric jazz.

Although Parker has released CDs featuring full band arrangements behind his guitar, his live shows are strictly solo, creating a low-volume, low-stress evening of mellow tunes.

In between shows, Parker is a professor of literature. His exposure to the great poets of history has sealed his decision to never, ever write lyrics.