.A charismatic musician, astounding acoustic blues guitarist and expressive vocalist at the same time, Peter Lavell is an extraordinary case in the Amsterdam blues music scene. Born in South Holland, at an early age he became interested in music and the guitar in particular.
In the 1970's, while his teenage companions were gorging themselves on disco and heavy metal, Peter was burying himself in the music of Delta blues and listened to masters like John Lee Hooker, Lightnin Hopkins and Mississippi John Hurt. His influences were numerous and he has had the opportunity to learn directly from such blues giants as Graig Mayther, Patrick Mc Farland and T.Bone Fisher, among others.
Peter Lavell matured his sound in Amsterdam, where he became a celebrated performer of the deep Delta blues. His passion for this kind of music and his restless enthusiasm to explore the possibilities of the roots blues guitar and music in general, have led him to work in numerous groups, such as the Moonhawks, the Roaddogs and others.
He has played in many Amsterdam venues, like Café De Harmonie, The Waterhole, Maloe Melo, Café TD, Bourbon Street, to name a few. In many cases, he was hosting his own evenings, inviting other musicians to play with him and share the experience, creating particularly beautiful and memorable musical evenings for those who participated or attended.
He has participated with great success in numerous music festivals, such as the Utrecht Blues festival, Big Rivers Festival, The Hague blues festival and has played in various occasions abroad, in Germany (Alte Zollstation), Denmark (Coppenhagen), and elsewhere.
He is an accomplished guitar player, with an exceptional finger picking technique and his vocals are strong and varied. He rocks the place and enchants the audience wherever he plays. He creates his own original sound, inspiring and instructing the people who play with him.
In the last year, there has been a lot of action and Peter is forming a new group.
He appears regularly with this group of musicians, at the Old Nickel Cafe, an atmospheric, cozy Dutch bar in the centre of Amsterdam. There, he plays his favorite music, roots-blues and early country, together with his own songs and with a hint of rock always present throughout. Every Monday we find him at the Maloe Melo, the historical blues bar of Amsterdam, where he has been playing already for years.
One of his parallel activities, he is also involved in education projects, mainly giving regular presentations of the blues guitar music at primary schools.
He has a continuous presence at local and international festivals, where he always plays with distinguished musicians. And, he is often asked to play at private events and vernissages, where he creates a warm, lively atmosphere with his melodies and enchants his audience.
On Sunday night, I was fortunate enough to attend The Maloe Melo featuring the fingerpicking magic of Peter Lavell. It seemed only appropriate to be seeing a performer whose first inspiration to play the blues came from listening to the song "Stager Lee" by Mississippi John Hurt.
San Francisco blues recording artist T.Bone Fisher and Peter Lavell have a long history of performing blues together, both electric and acoustic. They are a formidable and charismatic combination on stage. When the two join forces for a show, it's an occasion not to be missed.
Peter opened the show on his National Steel-bodied guitar with a tune called "Crow Jane ." His guitar style is amazing; at times sounding as if he is playing two guitars simultaneously. His vocals are strong and varied, ranging from a gravelly growl to a rich deep baritone depending on the tune.
It is amazing how quickly time goes by when the music is so captivating and the performer so personable. Peter Lavell is a truly amazing guitarist and a quiet man with a genuine love for roots blues. He has a subtle sense of humor that is conveyed both in his talk and his music.
It was definitely another great night at The Maloe Melo with Peter Lavell's special brand of Delta sounds.
It was definitely another great night at The Maloe Melo with Peter Lavell's special brand of Delta sounds.
Peter Lavell and the Moonhawks were performing again at this great Blues festival in Utrecht in cafe BosLust and rocked the place through the roof. The band is by far passed the stage of just covering songs and with a line up like that it is not surprising.The repertoire is strong and the band sounds like ZZ Top at a time when they were still fun.
"Peter Lavell "is an, astoundingly accomplished guitar player Peter's vocals are impressive; he's not just a guitar player but puts everything into his performance.
© Lilian Bellinga 2010
