Blues Search Engine: Dave Specter

Blues guitarist, bandleader and producer Dave Specter has earned an international reputation as one of the premier young talents on the Chicago blues scene. Since 1985 Specter has performed regularly at top Chicago and U.S. nightclubs, festivals and concert halls in addition to international appearances in Brazil, Israel, Spain, England, Holland, Norway, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Mexico and Canada. Before forming his own band in 1989, Specter toured extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe behind such blues greats as Son Seals, The Legendary Blues Band, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Lay and Steve Freund. Specter has also performed and recorded with such blues and jazz artists as Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Otis Rush, Jimmy Rogers, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jimmy Johnson, Jack McDuff, Johnny Adams, Snooky Pryor, Kim Wilson, Tad Robinson, John Primer, Johnny Littlejohn, B.B. Odom, Mighty Joe Young, Valerie Wellington, Magic Slim, Lonnie Brooks, Willie Kent, Ronnie Earl, Eric Alexander, Otis Clay, Floyd McDaniel, Pinetop Perkins and Sunnyland Slim. Among Dave Specter's critically acclaimed recordings, his 1991 release Bluebird Blues reached the #1 spot on both the Living Blues national radio charts and the Tower Records blues charts. Blues Access magazine called his CD, Left Turn on Blue, "an absolutely gorgeous blend of vintage blues and jazz". Specter also appears on compilation CDs with artists such as Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, B.B. King, Muddy Waters and Junior Wells. In its June 2000 issue, Illinois Entertainer named Dave Specter's Blueplicity album as one of the top 10 blues albums of the last decade by "young blues artists" (under 50). Specter's guitar playing can also be heard on national TV and radio commercials for Kraft Foods and Northwest Airlines. Dave has recently been featured in Guitar Player and Downbeat magazines and has been a 5 time Critic's Choice in The Chicago Reader. He has also been interviewed on both NPR and BBC radio. Dave endorses Epiphone Guitars, Victoria Amplifiers and GHS Strings. (quoted from The Official Dave Specter Homepage)