It’s a natural reaction — when you think of the best rock ‘n roll from Texas, you think of ZZ Top. Since 1970, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard have been churning out their unique blend of Texas boogie and hard rockin’ blues for an appreciative audience all over the world. Even in the 80s, when a lot of groups from the 70s were struggling to maintain their relevance, ZZ Top reinvented themselves as a video band without compromising their musical integrity. No matter what the trend or fad, ZZ Top is in for the long run.
Today, ZZ Top is an institution, one of the few bands left with all its original members (yeah, there’s only of three of them, but still…). Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards in 2004, they continue to record and tour the world. In 2013, they played the Montreux Jazz Festival, and for the first time, invited up two other Texas musicians for a nice and very uncharacteristic jam. Thankfully, the cameras were rolling and the whole performance was captured and released as Live At Montreux 2013 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. For the summer of 2014, ZZ Top has teamed up with guitar legend Jeff Beck for a five-week tour. It might just be the hottest tour of the summer.
In the following brief exchange, I got to ask Gibbons about the tour, playing Montreux, ZZ Top’s 2014 compilation The Very Baddest, future plans including the possibility of a new studio album, and the influence of his old friend, the late Johnny Winter.
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I just reviewed the Live At Montreux 2013 DVD, and was thrilled to see you, Dusty and Frank jamming with Mike Flanigin and Van Wilks. Did you have fun doing that? Any plans to do it again?
Yes, that particular evening on deck proved to be an interesting, unexpectedly successful excursion into some formerly uncharted jazz and blues territory. Stretching out a bit became the order of the hour as we paid tribute to our late friend, Claude Nobs, the Montreux Festival’s founder. We’d do it again with expansive curiosity.
The Very Baddest compilation was released last month, and the first thing I noticed is that you guys have recorded a lot of great songs. This begs the question: What’s your favorite ZZ Top song?
We always “cheat” when we’re asked that question, the answer to which is “Waitin’ For The Bus” and “Jesus Left Chicago.” Yes, they’re two distinct songs but are always performed in sequence, even when they first appeared on side one of our Tres Hombres album as tracks one and two but kinda run together. You get two for the price of one.
You’re heading out for five weeks with Jeff Beck (I’ll be at the Las Vegas show on August 16). What an incredible combo! How did that come together?
ZZ and Jeff Beck have enjoyed a close friendship since forever. Our pre-ZZ band, The Moving Sidewalks, shared bills with the Jeff Beck Group so now it’s obvious ours is a long-term relationship. Any chance to be in Jeff’s company and we’re there.
Any plans to jam together?
Yes. Come on out to one of our show to enjoy a real ‘mash-up’ at some point or other.
ZZ Top is probably the only band that’s been around for five decades with all its original members. Is there a secret to keeping you three together for this long?
We’ve been having a good time (and ‘just got paid’ for it) about four + decades and it continues to remain letting the party train roll full tilt. I guess the secret is mutual respect for each other and a common bond which that, of course, is the blues.
What’s on the horizon after the tour? A new album?
There’s a host of some new things rattling around awaiting re-entry into the studio and get on down. No doubt, it’ll happen sooner than later…
You played on Johnny Winter’s final album, Step Back, which will be coming out in September. Can you briefly share your thoughts on Johnny Winter and his impact on your guitar playing?
When I first saw him perform, I was, maybe 12 or 13, and he was known as “Johnny Cool Daddy Winter” and we’ve always thought of him as exactly that: “One Cool Daddy”. He was an inspiration from the moment I encountered him back then, and became a dear friend. I don’t know of a guitar slinger of any standing who didn’t feel his presence.
