Alastair Greene

One of the many bold blues-rock guitarists who've surfaced in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Alastair Greene distinguishes himself with a robust tone and oversized sense of swing, qualities he also conveys in his full-throated singing. Greene's 2001 debut, A Little Wiser, established the parameters of his oversized blues-rock, setting him on a path that found him maintaining a faithful audience through steady touring and recording -- he cut an album every few years between 2009's Walking in Circles and 2023's Alive in the New World -- while also branching out into collaborations. Although he was a successful sideman with such classic rockers as Starship featuring Mickey Thomas and Alan Parsons, he specialized in the blues, playing with Walter Trout, Sugaray Rayford, and appearing on Ruf's 2024 Blues Caravan with Katarina Pejak and Eric Johanson. A native of Santa Barbara, California, Alastair Greene was born on April 18, 1971. The grandchild of trumpeter Alfred "Chico" Alvarez, a veteran of Stan Kenton's groundbreaking big band of the post-war years, Greene initially attempted piano and saxophone but gravitated toward guitar in his teens. In particular, he was drawn to the classic blues and blues-rock of the '60s, whether it was the Allman Brothers Band, Buddy Guy, or B.B. King, along with Stevie Ray Vaughan, who synthesized all those sounds. His adolescence was drenched in music: he played in his high school jazz band and rock with his own group at night. Greene spent a year at Santa Barbara City College before enrolling in the Berklee College of Music. The call of the road proved tempting, however, and he left Berklee to form his own band after two years at the institution. Spending the '90s gigging with his own Alastair Greene Band, the guitarist amassed enough of a following to release his debut album, A Little Wiser, in 2001. Official Bootleg: Live in L.A. quickly followed in 2003, then he crossed paths with Alan Parsons. The art-rocker invited the guitarist to play on his 2004 album Valid Path and enlisted Greene for an American tour in 2009, after which he became an official part of Parsons' band. Greene took the occasional side gig, such as playing with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas. Greene hadn't abandoned his solo career -- he released Walking in Circles in 2009, Through the Rain in 2011, and Trouble at Your Door in 2014 -- but Parsons remained a priority through the 2010s. With Dream Train in 2017, Greene focused on his solo career. The album received positive reviews, as did its 2018 sequel Live from the 805, and helped revive his status in blues circles, leading to a stint playing guitar for Sugaray Rayford in 2019. That year, Greene signed with Whiskey Bayou Records -- an imprint founded by Tab Benoit -- whittled his band down to a power trio and released The New World Blues in 2020. Alive in the New World followed in 2023. In 2024, he joined Ruf's Blues Caravan alongside Eric Johanson and Katarina Pejak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi