As Stevie Wonder sat down to jam with Eric Clapton, the Englishman’s band all had big grins on their faces. They knew this was gonna be a special one, and the two legends didn’t disappoint with their rollicking rendition of the blues classic “Crossroads,” which they fittingly performed at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Clapton kicked off the song with a filthy rhythm guitar lick while Wonder snaked in and out of the riff with a funky lead on the harpejji, which is a hybrid between piano and guitar.
Clapton, aged 78 at the time, then took to the mic with a deliciously smoky vocal. The Englishman subsequently took the first lead, playing a catchy and tasteful solo on his Strat. Wonder wasn’t gonna be left out of the party, though, and took his own lead on the harpejji, and you better believe he brought the funk. After several more blistering solos, the pair warmly embraced at the end of the song, and Wonder declared, “Eric is the greatest!” The Music Man has to say, Wonder might just be onto something there.
Clapton and Wonder teamed up at the Crossroads Guitar Festival, which was a benefit concert founded by Clapton, on September 24, 2023. Fans loved seeing the two icons tear it up on stage together, and added comments such as “The whole band is world famous, not just Stevie and Eric. The best of the best” and “I love how Eric puts all into his vocals for a tune he has played literally thousands of times. Every show is a little unique, but that core beautiful quality is always there!”
Clapton has treated his fans to many tasty jams over the years at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. One of his greatest cuts from the event is surely his 2010 cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.” Clapton opens the song with a hard-driving reggae groove, and the whole performance is packed full of swinging performances, which is no doubt why 164 million fans tuned into the YouTube upload.
“Crossroads” was written by American bluesman Robert Johnson, who first released it in May 1937. The Music Man readers may recall that the song is a favourite cover of Clapton. The English guitarist helped popularise “Crossroads” when he recorded the tune with his band Cream for their 1968 album Wheels of Fire. Johnson performed “Crossroads” as a solo acoustic number, but Clapton’s version was notable for amping up the energy of the song with Cream’s searing electric blues sound.