On April 3rd, Rick Vito released his 12th solo record, Slidemaster, an entirely instrumental album that features Vito’s songs from the past and present. Tracks that Vito has also played live before that are not his such as “Albatross,” written by Peter Green in the early days of Fleetwood Mac, are also on the album as a re-recorded version and as a tribute to the late Fleetwood Mac founder. Tracks on the album include, “Vegas Jump,” the first song on the record, “Red Hot Baby,” which was the first song released prior to the records’ release, and “The Lord’s Prayer,” the final song on the album.
Rick Vito started his professional career in 1971 after moving to Los Angeles and joining Delaney & Bonnie & Friends and playing guitar on some of the tracks that they released. He also has been a main guitarist in many of Bob Seger’s albums since the 1980s, showcasing his incredible guitar skills and abilities. Additionally, he joined the infamous band, Fleetwood Mac, in 1987 to replace Lindsey Buckingham. Since then, Vito’s solo releases have shown his incredible guitar skills and work ranging from vocal tracks to simple instrumentals.
For his 12th solo album, Vito went all instrumental. In an interview with Ray Shasho on his podcast “Interviewing the Legends with Ray Shasho”, Vito said, “You know, sometimes, you get sick of hearing yourself after doing ten or eleven albums, all mostly vocals.” He also talked about the use of AI in music and reassured everyone that no AI was used to enhance any of his playing on the album. “There was no AI done in the recording of my album though. It’s all meat and potatoes.”
Hal Horowitz from Rockandbluesmuse.com reviewed the album. “Rick eases his approach for a more pensive, calming, often delicately chilling sound. He wanders the darkened, rain-slicked backstreets on “The Danger Zone” like a cat prowling its prey on a tune perfect for any film noir detective flick” Horowitz stated. Not only is the album getting great reviews and thoughts from critics, but Megan Inskeep, a student at West Morris Central also loves the album. “As someone who doesn’t typically listen to instrumental music, I wouldn’t say I have a deep understanding of it, but I found Slidemaster to be surprisingly engaging. It stood out from what I usually listen to, and without lyrics, I found myself paying closer attention to the overall sound and how it builds a certain mood.” Inskeep also stated, “While I’m still figuring out my taste in this area, the experience definitely sparked my curiosity. It made me more interested in exploring instrumental music further, and I’m open to discovering more artists and styles within it to see what resonates with me.”
Rick Vito’s Slidemaster is not only a hit within the blues and slide guitar community, but within the younger generation too. With Volume 2 of the album confirmed by Vito, his talent with the guitar proves that he is still able to connect to his audience after being in the music industry for over 50 years.
