Rick Vito has been asked the same question for years. When are you putting out an all-instrumental album? ‘Slidemaster,’ out now on MoMojo Records, is the answer, twelve tracks played exclusively on slide guitar from one of the most distinctive bottleneck players in blues and rock.
The album pairs new material with remixed and remastered cuts from previous releases, assembled into a cohesive collection that covers a lot of ground. Peter Green’s “Albatross” and “The Supernatural” appear alongside Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and originals including “Vegas Jump” and “Soul Shadows.” Every track is instrumental, every track is slide, and the range across the twelve cuts reflects a guitarist with genuine depth across styles.
“To my knowledge there have not been many slide guitar instrumental albums,” Vito says. “These new works are paired with some of my very favorite cuts from previous albums resulting in a soulful collection of all-instrumental slide guitar tracks. This album comes from years of recording in a style that I hope you will love as much as I do.”
Vito’s previous album ‘Cadillac Man’ in 2024 reached No. 1 on the Roots Radio Report and drew rave reviews across the blues press. Living Blues described his playing as “wraithlike,” noting he “never wastes a note.” Rock and Blues Muse called him “one of the best guitarists in the genre, and a premiere slide guitarist with few peers.” ‘Slidemaster’ is the natural extension of that momentum, stripping everything back to the instrument itself.
The resume behind this record is substantial. Vito was a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1987 to 1991, with guitar work featured on ‘Greatest Hits,’ ‘Behind The Mask,’ and the live DVD ‘Tango In The Night.’ He later formed the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band featuring Rick Vito, earning a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues as both artist and producer. His slide solo on Bob Seger’s “Like A Rock” has been heard by millions, both on album and across a decade of Chevy truck commercials.
His session and touring credits run deep, including Bonnie Raitt, John Fogerty, Jackson Browne, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Roger McGuinn, John Mayall, Leon Russell, Boz Scaggs, and dozens more. He’s also the recipient of the Blues Music Award for Song of the Year for Shemekia Copeland’s “It’s Two A.M.” His Reverend Guitars signature model, the Rick Vito Soul Agent, is currently in its fourth edition.
‘Slidemaster’ is out now on MoMojo Records.
‘Slidemaster’ Track Listing:
- Vegas Jump
- Steel Away
- The Big Beat
- The Danger Zone
- Ted Hot Baby
- Albatross
- Soul Shadows
- Slide The Blues
- A Change Is Gonna Come
- River of Blues
- The Supernatural
- The Lord’s Prayer