Music lovers with a mad love for the blues file into Red Bank, NJ’s Count Basie Center for the Arts this Monday, July 14, 2025 evening for a Damn Right Encore tour performance by blues legend, Buddy Guy.
Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who started out performing with bluesmen like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters and ended up influencing such major rock guitarists as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. A winner of multiple Grammys in addition to a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Guy is included on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and is also a 2012 Kennedy Center Honors recipient.
Inside the Count Basie auditorium, the lights dim and tonight’s opening act, 16-year-old Australian guitar phenom Taj Farrant, takes the stage along with guitarist Tyson Bryant, keyboardist Jazel Farrant, bassist Connor Paecheck, and drummer Julio Portelo.
Opening with his guitar wailing and improvising quick runs over a slow groove, Farrant shifts into the funky minor key rocker, “Bad Trip,” where he and his colleagues sing, “Broke down on a bad trip,” before Taj impresses with a swirling guitar solo.
Segueing into an intro of the love theme from The Godfather, Taj sings with emotion and power on the rollicking blues number, “Cold Shot,” energetically backed by his bandmates.
Farrant welcomes the crowd announcing, “Hello, everybody. My name’s is Taj Farrant and this is my band!” as he steps into the rocking Stevie Ray Vaughn blues number, “Tightrope,” which has concertgoers cheering for his expressive guitar solo.
Farrant asks, “Does anybody know of someone named Prince?” before steering into Prince’s slow and funky blues song, “The Ride,” and he follows up by playing impossibly quick guitar riffs on the steamy Steve Vai instrumental, “For the Love of God.”
Moving on to a number he composed with his dad, Taj performs “Mumma Raised a Man,” a slow blues tune where he sings with emotion, “Mumma raised a man, not just a boy/With a heart of gold, and genuine joy,” prior to shredding a wailing guitar solo.
Concluding his set with his “favorite song,” Farrant gives a tour de force performance of Gary Moore’s “Parisienne Walkways,” making his guitar sing with lightning speed despite losing a string. The crowd animatedly claps and cheers while rewarding Taj with a well-deserved standing ovation.
During intermission, concertgoers comment on Taj Farrant’s performance. Exclaims Cathy from Rahway, “He’s phenomenal! This kid is only 16 years old and he plays like a master — he’s like a new Stevie Ray Vaughn,” before noting, “This is the first time I’ve seen him, and I can’t wait to see him again, even if I have to go to Australia to do it!”
Declares Laure from Brick, “I was blown away by Taj! He is so into the music, and that’s what it’s all about. I was flabbergasted — he and his whole band were excellent — and that’s what was so engaging to the audience!”
Lastly, 17-year-old Jocelyn from Wayne remarks, “Oh, my gosh, Taj was amazing; so professional! You could feel the passion when he played, and when he broke his guitar string, it was incredible how he just kept going,” prior to concluding, “What a great night this has been so far!”
Following intermission, the members of the Buddy Guy Blues Band — keyboardist David Souvigny, drummer Tom Hambridge, bassist Orlando Wright, and guitarist Ric Jaz — take their places and music lovers burst into applause as Buddy Guy enters the stage.
Opening with “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues,” Buddy bends strings as he wails out a bluesy guitar solo and cries, “You damn right, I’ve got the blues/From my head down to my shoes,” on this rockin’ blues tune.
The crowd cheers and Guy, 88, responds, “You all gonna make me play all night!” Here, he and the band launch into a down and dirty interpretation of Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man” which features Ric Jaz rendering a rockin’ guitar solo prior to spinning his guitar in a 360° circle and Guy singing with power while interjecting bluesy guitar accents.
Concertgoers hoot and holler and Guy exclaims, “I love you guys — we don’t get this kind of reception everywhere we go, but we do when we come here!” Revealing, “Now I’m gonna get kinda funky for you,” Guy slides into B.B. King’s “How Blue Can You Get” where he vocalizes, “I’ve been downhearted baby/Ever since the day we met,” in his strong full voice on this blues tune which dramatically builds with energy and emotion.
On “Feels Like Rain,” Guy sings with feeling, deftly popping into his falsetto voice before directing the audience to join him in singing the slow blues number’s memorable “And it feels like rain” lyric.
Warning, “If you have frown on your face, I intend to put a smile on it!” Guy segues into a sultry interpretation of Peggy Lee’s “Fever.” Then, on “Talk to Me, Baby,” Guy soulfully sings, “You know I love you baby!” prior to making his way into the audience and strolling up and down the main aisles of the auditorium while picking out an extended guitar solo.
Returning to the stage, Guy sets his guitar on top of a large speaker and plays a snippet of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” by tapping on the strings with a drumstick. Taking the guitar off the speaker, he straps it on his back and positions a towel over the guitar’s neck before sliding it back and forth over the guitar’s strings.
Music lovers cheer and Guy and Co. sail into an R&B rendition of Al Green’s “Take Me to the River,” where Guy soulfully croons, “Take me to the river and wash me down/Won’t you cleanse my soul, put my feet on the ground.” Continuing with the driving blues number, “Five Long Years,” Guy invites his son, Greg, on stage to jam with the band.
Guy also welcomes the return of Taj Farrant and the guitar trio trades blues licks with one another on Muddy Waters’ “Mad Love (I Want You to Love Me).”
The crowd erupts in hoots and hollers and Guy responds, “Thank you very much — I love you!” before music lovers rise for a standing ovation and Guy tosses guitar picks out to his fans.
For an encore, Guy presents a scintillating version of Muddy Waters’ sultry blues tune, “She’s 19 Years Old,” where his soulful vocal and guitar performance leaves audience members cheering on their feet as Guy waves goodnight and exits the stage.
As concertgoers make their way out of the Basie auditorium, several comment on tonight’s performance by Buddy Guy. Asserts Theresa from Red Bank, “Buddy Guy was terrific! This is our third time seeing him and he always puts on a terrific show. I can’t believe he’s 88 years old and his voice still sounds the same as it did 20 years ago!” John from Red Bank agrees, adding, “Buddy Guy’s show was great tonight! It was exciting and had a lot of energy — what a fun night out!”
Gina from Freehold explains, “I loved this show! Buddy has a lot of energy, his voice is amazing, his guitar playing is incredible, and the band is awesome, too! I especially love how he gave 16-year old Taj a shot — having him open the show and jam with the band — plus Buddy’s son was great, too.” Mike from Freehold concurs, acknowledging, “I love Buddy Guy — everybody at the Count Basie loves Buddy Guy! Trust me!”
Insists Ralph from Manahawkin, “The set of pipes Buddy has at 88 years of age is nothing short of spectacular, not to mention his great stage presence — God bless him!” Guy from Toms River recalls, “I saw Buddy years ago at the Fillmore East and I also saw him here about six years ago and he’s always been super. He’s a special kind of blues player — he really makes you feel it — and I’m blown away that he’s still doing it!” Vinnie from Secaucus concurs, explaining, “Buddy Guy is one of the classic blues guitar players. If you’ve ever picked up a guitar you need to know him and his history, and to sing like he still sings at his age and to command the stage the way he does is truly impressive.”
Lastly, Patricia from Scotch Plains recalls, “This is my second time seeing Buddy Guy — I saw him here last year at The Basie — and he was phenomenal both times! He’s so unbelievable, and I hope that Taj, the 16-year-old guitarist, knows how blessed he is to be able to play with him.” Recalls Patricia’s grandson, Vester, “I started listening to Buddy Guy at a very early age — my dad used to listen to him along with artists like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters,” prior to concluding, “Buddy Guy was great tonight, but he always is — I mean, he’s Buddy Guy!”
To learn more about Buddy Guy, please go to buddyguy.net. For information about upcoming performances at the Count Basie Center for the Arts — including Esperanza Spalding on August 8 and The Orchestra Starring ELO and ELO Part II Former Members on September 13— please click on thebasie.org.
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