As perhaps one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation, Eric Clapton is regularly cited as a hero to many, whether that’s by his peers or the people who have taken the most inspiration from him.
It might be his work with Cream that has had the biggest impression on people, or it could be his solo work that is of the greatest importance to other budding guitarists, but that’s not to ignore the brilliance of what he also offered to Derek and the Dominoes, the Yardbirds, Blind Faith, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, or countless other artists as a session musician.
You can’t deny Clapton’s industriousness or his proficiency, and that’s an inspiration in itself for many guitarists. The fact that the music industry has been graced with his brilliance for so long is testament to his brilliance, and the importance of players like him will be remembered for long after he parts ways with the earth.
However, who could you possibly say bears the most resemblance to Clapton’s style from the current crop of guitarists? There aren’t as many people in the mainstream who are directly taking inspiration from him, and the genres in which he operated have begun to fall out of fashion in the modern era, so it would be hard to pick out any one player who has perfected his slick, blues-driven style down to a tee, let alone utilises it in the same fashion.
That being said, artists such as Mk.gee are still pushing boundaries, and there are a number of things that the artist born Mike Gordon has done in the early days of his career that bear resemblance to the kinds of innovation that Clapton was known for. On his debut album, Two Star & The Dream Police, he showcased a number of fascinating techniques that he learned from the greats, such as detuning his guitar to be closer to a baritone register, and using a four-track recorder as a pre-amp in order to create a distinctive tone.
These are similar to the sorts of things that Clapton would have done as a youngster who was determined to make an impression on the scene, and that fact isn’t lost on ‘Slow Hand’ himself. Clapton himself has spoken about Mk.gee and his inventiveness, and thanks to his daughter, who first introduced him to his music, he’s become something of a fan of the New Jersey artist, claiming that he plays guitar “like nobody else,” adding that when he first stumbled upon him, he was stunned. “I couldn’t believe it,” he proclaimed. “[Innovation is] happening. It’s still going on.”
While Mk.gee himself has plenty of other influences aside from Clapton, he’s expressed an admiration for his work on plenty of occasions, but also claimed in an interview with Dazed that he wanted to be taught by a non-guitarist so that he could approach the instrument in a different way. “I never liked the idea of getting lessons from a guitar player,” he claimed. “I thought it would be more useful to learn from someone […] who could give musical lessons that were more exploratory, more about trying things out.”
Music may be heading in a different direction with this new breed of guitarists and creative approaches, but it’s clear that the cross-generational seal of approval is still going strong, and Clapton giving Gordon his blessing is a sign that the kids are certainly doing something right.
