So-called “guitar gods” used to dominate the rock landscape. Not so much these days. Esoteric, fleet-fingered noodlers like Polyphia’s Tim Henson just don’t possess the broader cultural juice of someone like Eddie Van Halen or even Steve Vai. Gary Clark Jr. is one of the few high-profile, contemporary guitarists to draw comparisons to the aces of yore. Yet the Texas native says he has no interest in reviving the era his favorites — players like Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn — helped to define. He’s more interested in seeing how that tradition can be injected into diverse genres.
Clark Jr. grew up in Austin, an epicenter of guitar-centric music often highlighted by his favorite TV show, Austin City Limits. He was fascinated by the guitar from the get-go, eventually emerging as an heir to his heroes.
“I quit caring about what people thought about me wanting to be a certain thing,” Clark said of the comparisons in a 2024 interview with Grammy.com. “I think that being compared to Jimi Hendrix is a blessing and a curse for me, because I’m not that. I will never be that. I never wanted to imitate or copy that, no disrespect. You’ve got to find your own thing. And my own thing is incorporating all the styles of music that I love.”
For proof, see 2024’s JPEG Raw, Clark Jr.’s fourth and most eclectic set of songs yet. The title track sounds like something enduring hip-hop crew The Roots might conjure, mixing a heavy, snare-driven bottom end with piano and tasty guitar textures as Clark Jr. sings/raps about staying grounded amid outside expectations for both himself and his children: “My daughters ain’t gotta shake hips to make tips/No judgement, if it makes cents, it makes sense/But I ain’t with the ratchet, only racket they’ll be havin’/Is if they pick up a good habit where their name is on the bracket.”
The genre jumping continues with the slow-burning soul jam “Alone Together,” which features the mood-altering trumpet of Keyon Harrold, and the slinky funk rock of “What About the Children,” a duet with Stevie Wonder that’s as topical as it is ass moving. Expect a heavy dose of JPEG Raw to populate Clark Jr.’s current live set — a career-spanning journey mapping the guitarist’s move from upstart to savvy veteran.
Gary Clark Jr. and Suzanne Santo play the Andrew J Brady Music Center on Aug. 25 at 7:30 p.m. More info: bradymusiccenter.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s Aug. 20 print edition.
This article appears in Aug 20 – Sep 2, 2025.