Fred Chapellier
In 2007, Fred Chapellier drew the spotlight on his electric fretwork with a tribute to his late hero, six-string wizard Roy Buchanan. Fred’s CD was recorded under the direction of Jean-Alain Roussel, producer of one of Buchanan’s last albums (You’re Not Alone), with an ace outfit that included Roy’s fetish vocalist Billy Price as well as blues stalwarts Neal Black, Tom Principato and Gib Wharton.

Fred and Billy worked together steadily in the wake of this fruitful experience, with Billy touring France as part of Fred’s band, and Fred wooing Billy’s East Coast fans in the States. This collaboration led to a studio album recorded in Pitssburgh, Pennsylvania in June 2008, featuring soul great Otis Clay as well as Mark Wenner from the Nighthawks. A live set followed in 2009.

The first half of 2012 has been active for Fred, with a noted appearance at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in February, several tours with Tom Principato, and a live set with his old Texas cohort Neal Black featuring the harp of Nico Wayne Toussaint.

In the second half of 2012, Fred is back with a new album co-signed with Neal Black, with Gary Moore’s longstanding sideman Vic Martin on keyboard.

The live album Fred proposes today shows that the scene succeeds him as well as the studio and that nothing can stop him in his electrifying explorations into the worlds of blues, rock and soul.