Erik Trauner - Solo

Erik Trauner SOLO

Erik Trauner is just as at home in Chicago blues as he is in the zydeco and cajun-infused tradition of Louisiana. He also feels comfortable in country and western music, for example with the Honky Tonk Playboys, which he founded in 1997. Gospel is also part of his repertoire, for instance with Sister Shirley.

In terms of intensity, Trauner's solo performances are unmatched. He is not focused on meticulously imitating the old masters of country blues; rather, he has long since found his own style and place. The emphasis is not on the sterility of technical perfection but on the emotionality of reduction and omission—simply put, the deeper essence of the blues.

Consistently, more than half of his repertoire comes from his own—sometimes quite pointed—compositions. In the good tradition of songsters, Erik Trauner combines his solo performances with humorous announcements and stories, providing entertaining interludes beyond the songs themselves.