Ivan Zar - Poor Black Mattie (by RL Burnside)
For me, having Ivan Zar in the 'Night Sky' studio was like a Beatles fan having Paul or John sitting next to them. Years ago, I bought Ivan's record, 'Track Me Down', and in my opinion, it's one of the best blues records out there. It's true sound, the players and the song choice made a super fan out of me.
Ivan's style is reminiscent of the sound that the early blues pioneers were making yet he has a tremendous sense of originality that pours over his listeners. He's a killer Harp player, great vocalist and thrashes his Dobro like it's an opponent in a ring.
Ivan is harder to track down these days but he is just as inspirational to me and blues fans all around the place. He is a living legend and the modern day blues troubadour personified.