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MARK
CLOUTIER |
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MUSIC
WEB EXPRESS 3000 I started
playing guitar when I was 14 years old. I saw this fella playing a
Halifax Les Paul copy guitar in the school hallway and it caught my
attention. I remember him playing “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout
Love” by Van Halen and I thought it was the coolest thing. I
approached him and asked about the guitar and he told me he was selling
it. I went home and begged my parents for a week or so and they finally
gave in and gave me the money to buy it! Very exciting for me as I
was tiring of athletics and need something new—a new challenge!
I had a friend who played guitar so he started teaching me basics
and eventually I studied with a fella by the name of Dana Klipp. He
turned me on to the blues and all the great guitar players! I have
been playing for 30 years now and everyday I am still learning something.
I also enjoy playing bass and on some of my early solo guitar recordings
you can hear me playing the 4 string!
As you
may have noticed I am very busy recording my works. It really is an
ongoing documentation of all my ideas and influences.
Yes my
favorite guitar is my SRV issue fender Strat. I use that on about
ninety percent of my recordings. The track called “Delta Down”
on my newest is an old Schafer guitar with these killer Japanese pickups.
I tuned down to D on that to get the real swampy sound—totally
Hendrix inspired. I also made my slide guitar debut on a couple tracks.
One of the three songs I sing on is called “Everything I Do Is
Wrong.” That’s me on the slide guitar. It’s inspired
by the married life. If you are married or have been married you will
relate for sure. Had a really good reaction this past Saturday night
at our show, especially from the guys. They were laughing and new
exactly what I was talking about! Having a sense of humour when playing
blues is just as important as tearing it up!
Yes I
will mention my most influential guitar players in a bit of an order
depending on the day. Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Guy, SRV and Jimmy Vaughn,
Freddy, Albert and BB King, Jeff Beck, Duke Robillard, T-Bone Walker,
Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton to name a few. I would say as far as albums:
Band of Gypsies - Hendrix, Texas Flood - SRV, Stone
Crazy -Buddy Guy would be my top three. So many I could go on
and on though...
Web
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Based
in Upstate New York, in the Syracuse region, guitarist Mark Cloutier
is doing a great job releasing a barrage of CDs on his Blues Lion
Records label. Much of Mark’s 2009 CD Attitude With Gratitude
is instrumental in nature and with that unique element front and
center, his guitar work sounds also greatly inspired by rock legends
like Hendrix, Jimmy Vaughan, early Buddy Guy and T-Bone Walker. Likewise,
much the same could be said about Mark’s 2008 CD with his group
Stratattack, entitled Blues In My House. Featuring solid
support from an adept rhythm section, Cloutier’s guitar takes
on a number of sonic guises on different tracks. For instance, track
8 on Attitude With Gratitude, “There’s A Place”—a
great atmospheric instrumental that mixes rock and jazzy styles to
great effect—is one of Cloutier’s finest and most memorable
tracks. One look at Cloutier’s web site and you can really see
a guitarist who is quite prolific, with each of his CD's being strongly
recommended to both blues and rock fans, as well as guitar instrumental
fans. 
I really love turning on the record and sometimes just tapping into
my stream of conscience. Lately I have really worked on themes and
dynamics to build off of and then come back to. Seems to be a very
good formula of late. The new CD Attitude With Gratitude was
based on that formula. I received some helpful tips from the legendary
Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records. He has listened to some of my
recordings and made mention of paying a bit more attention to melody
and themes to bring out my soloing more. I took that advice and think
I am heading in the right direction for sure! Attitude With Gratitude
is the result.
Musical
Influences