Oh, to be seventeen years old and as talented as Austin Young. The young Colorado Blues musician has a long and stellar career ahead of him if his 2013 release, Blue as Blue Can Be is any kind of indicator!! I’m not exactly sure where I came across his name, hum, it may have been last weeks, New Releases Now newsletter, but wherever I saw it I’m glad I did because the album is flat-out terrific as are Young’s guitar playing and his vocals.
The self-taught Young started playing guitar at the tender age of twelve and obviously his musical ability has grown by leaps and bounds over the last five or so years. His musical inspirations range from blues from such greats as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters to contemporary masters like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The band labels their music as “Texandrix Blues” because they blend the styles of Texas, Psychedelic, and Chicago Blues
His band No Difference is composed of an equally young bass player Noah Mast. Mast born in 1995, With four older brothers leading the musical way, Noah began playing bass, guitar and drums at the age of eight! His musical influences include: Phil Lesh, Noel Redding, and Victor Wooten,While They have influenced his playing he has developed his own stirring style on the bass. The other member of No Difference is Austin’s father Tim Young. Tim is a life-long musician like the other members of the band he started playing early in his case he started drumming at eight and continued playing through high school, college and was in many post-college bands. So how’s he feel about being in a band where the boss is your son! According to Tim, “playing in a great blues band with his son is truly a dream come true and one that he thanks God for every waking minute.”
Blues as Blue Can Be is a treat start to finish with rockers like “Thunderhead” and “Who’s Coming Out?” along with great ballads like “Magdalena” and “Give Me One Good Reason” and even an instrumental “Miss You Moore”. So check him out – and if you miss him now I’m sure somewhere down the line you’ll be hearing about him and his band again!!!
Here’s Austin Young and No Difference from a couple of years ago “Howlin’ for My Darlin'”
